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A personal, alternative interpretation of the Northern Ireland Brexit 'Backstop'

By Charles Essery - posted Monday, 4 March 2019


I was asked by some locals and colleagues to explain the fuss over the Northern Ireland (NI) border EU Brexit issue, and in doing so put this together to save responding individually. Some have urged me to broaden my circulation for "the greater good", for which I hold them totally complicit.

Prior to the adoption of this innocent word "backstop", only the Americans among us would have used this innocuous word, to describe the safety net behind a baseball batsman, there to protect the crowd. Now it's the "cliff edge" (Jeremy Corbyn's latest contribution to impending doom political phraseology) threatening humanity in the UK in its fight to extricate itself from the invasive grip of the EU "bluffocracy".

For most of us (even those who have watched Brexit from a distance since 2015 when the then PM Cameron announced his fateful commitment for a EU Membership Referendum) the painful "negotiations' have resulted in a glorious new term to the political lexicon, namely "backstop". For now, only a "Northern Ireland Brexit Backstop" exists, but I assume when others such as the Polish and Italian "Exiteers" arise, others will spawn. "Sicily Backstop" next, anyone? I have summarised the backstop options as follows:

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  1. A "Transition period" till 2020 with no checks at all between NI and Republic of Ireland (IR) no checks with mainland UK, with a single market allowing free trade and population movements (named "motionless trade")
  2. An undefined "Backstop period" with no checks at all between NI and Republic of Ireland (IR), but "some" checks with mainland UK on selected goods such as agricultural products.
  3. "No deal" solution with "heavy" checks between NI and RI, but no checks with mainland UK.

First and foremost, the issue is a political hand grenade being lobbed in by EU and RI to cause fear and havoc. In reality, it is not an issue (and I would suggest that the British know this. The Troubles will not be sparked off again. If the backstop is introduced however the Unionists may harden given the fact the New IRA have already started bombing (Londonderry Courthouse 19th January 2019).

Northern Ireland has several "tourist" spots for those of you who wish to take a "black taxi tour" of Belfast/Londonderry. These "quaint" murals are on the real 'hard borders' that cover the hotspots of Belfast akin to the old Berlin wall.The "quaintness" is only skin deep... the sentiments of Unionists run deep, and the backstop is starting to cause an itch. The Irish (particularly Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA) know this, hence their weekly media driven demands for a united Ireland referendum (with only NI and RI citizens to vote, the UK being excluded).

Secondly, the old border pre-1969 (beginning of "The Troubles") was not an issue and was very much based on a nod'n'wink, "sure an ya go Mrs Murphy". Strabane, a place I crossed many times as a kid on our numerous days trips to the Beaches & Pubs) on North Donegal's wild, beautiful coastline, was a typical pre-1969 laid-back crossing. A new hard border would be safer and more controlled, but no real hassle. Just look at Norway's modern existing high tech automated "hard borders".

Add to this the likes of advances with bitcoin (e.g. Singapore) for trade/security and even the application of drones which can now deploy synthetic aperture radar to assess traffic load/content and 'vapor sensing' technologies to detect illegal goods. The hardened British/NI border would be secure and relatively efficient (unless the Irish followed the route of their arrogant paymasters in the EU). RI would have a lot to lose if it did this, because while the NI border is an RI political flag waving issue, the real border would be between RI and England/Wales/Scotland where the vast majority of RI trade occurs en route to the EU via the UK (about 10 hours mainly on UK motorways). Yes, RI could go direct, but the direct ferry route services from RI to EU are long (20+hours), unreliable, weather-prone and dominated by tourism, rather than lorries.

We have had lots of media coverage of the 500-page agreement "negotiated/forced" by EU Bluffocrats, yet have you heard of let alone seen any coverage of the 350-page alternative document drawn up by pro-Brexiteers? My hope is that PM May has an equivalent plan... if not she is not long for her seat in Number 10. I have often commented that I feel sorry for her ... a "Remainer" having to deliver Brexit. However, I suspect PM May's negotiation team seems to have deliberately excluded anything other than the "Backstop", and that is why the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP, the 10 strong unionist MPs whom she relies on to prop up her now minority UK government) are becoming increasingly vocal. They have lived and, in some cases, suffered personally because of the trauma of "The Troubles" and be assured they understand the true fears behind those quaint wall painting "artworks" that surround Belfast's and Londonderry's hard 15-metre-high concrete/barb-wired walls.

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Unlike RI's trade with the UK, NI has minimal trade with the RI (5% of its annual sales and exports). RI exports most of its EU trade transparently through the UK-funded transport network, for which Irish trucks pay no registration and often no fuel taxes. A hard border could be effective and efficient if run like Norway or Singapore, with modern surveillance. In 1980, border crossings looked like the townships from the Mad Max movies and were dangerous, as they were frequent targets of IRA bombings. British soldiers/police had to be flown in via armoured cars and helicopters to reduce IRA "opportunities".

The Irish Government, EU and NI republicans are fear-mongering in dangerous waters by promoting images of this previous form of hard border (including mock wall promos that include British soldiers with tanks and guns). Meanwhile republicans deface "Welcome to Northern Ireland" signs with either bullet holes or graffiti inserts to say, "Welcome to One Ireland". Neither are diplomatic or encouraging for a continuing peace and reflect a distinct disrespect for the unionists of NI. These sign-post defacings at the hotspot border crossings are a trivial but worrying symbol. Let's hope they continue to use these signs for their entertainment rather than resorting to soldiers, police, and the innocent population of NI... not Ireland as the ABC/BBC persistently (wishfully?) call it.

The Irish and EU are playing some nasty and dangerous high-stake games. For example, the largest ferry company (based out of Ireland) pulled the rug on opening up an old ferry service to relieve pressure should the French customs regime be 'hardened'. The French will inevitably do this, and the sabotaging of the ferry deal just 40+ days out is just an opening shot in the next stage of this international divorce.

I left Ulster in 1989 to move to the academic politics of Liverpool University and then on to Macquarie University and finally to the wondrous world of NSW Bluffocracy. I knew (much like my late WW1 veteran grandfather told me on 1970) what was coming in Northern Ireland and, as we say in NI, I "had had enough". Friends and family remain and while some have become accustomed to the "new world" of EU Trade, Travel, Opera Houses and even the performances of international artists (something that rarely happened in my 1970-1989 'youth'), others remain fearful that they are about to become second class citizens dominated by the tyranny of being caught in limbo, on their way to an unwelcome United Ireland.

If Brexit is hard and "backstop-less", there is no reason why the hard border should be an issue, unless the politicians and United Ireland Brigade set the balls rolling again. "The Troubles" covering the 1969-1990s are only the latest version of Irish-British troubles that have gone on for centuries. If you like Ireland (north and south)pray this does not happen and try to understand the reality of Brexit/ Backstop and its importance. I hope press conferences like the one with the Prime Minister of Ireland and the President of EU cease, otherwise Mr. Tusk might create that "Place in Hell" that he quipped about, sooner than he expected. From long, unpleasant and frequent past experience of living through "The Troubles", Eurocrats and their associated media have played a distant dangerous game of bias and misinformation during the hey-day of The Troubles. It seems their successors are continuing this disruptive, cruel behaviour towards the citizens of NI, RI and indeed the UK who suffered much in recent years.

Should you have missed it, here is the ABC link to what is one of the most undiplomatic utterances I have witnessed in recent years. (See link https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-07/special-place-in-hell:-eu-frustration-with/10788218). Anyone who cannot recognize this deliberate spoiler is dreaming (to quote that great line in The Castle movie). It is a prime example of destructive, aggressive, arrogant EU diplomacy, fit for any university 'Politics 101' course, under "political gamesmanship".

I hope the political gamesmanship fails and that both NI and RI continue to respect each other's position and continue to develop their capacity to be welcoming regions for both trade and tourism. Australians love travel, but few are tempted to set foot in NI in particular for fear of old memories of terrorist threats (one of the prime aims of terrorists worldwide). I have successfully urged some brave souls to enter "The Province" (as N Ireland is known locally) and none have been disappointed by its physical beauty, historical significance and the warmth of the people.

So, if you want to do your bit for world peace, try to include Northern Ireland as part of you next (or first) tour of Europe. You will not be disappointed, and do try the local Smithwicks red ale, chased up with a good, well-poured pint of Guinness… the drink that "is good for you" and will take 10-15 minutes to develop before drinking (if poured by a decent bartender).

Forget "Brexit, Backstop and Eurocrats", instead "Be Brave"!!!…. and visit both NI and RI, for the scenery, weather and people on your next (or first) EU holiday or at least as part of your essential bucket list. You won't be disappointed.

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About the Author

Charles Essery is an independent water consultant, who has been an Australia resident since 1990.

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