The Ulster Unionist Party’s South Antrim MP Danny Kinahan has called on the UK Government to confirm it will not impose a hard border within the United Kingdom once the UK leaves the European Union.
Danny Kinahan MP said:
“Colleagues and I are very worried at the UK Government’s lack of clarity regarding border control arrangements within the UK in a post-Brexit scenario, which risks making Northern Ireland a second class region.
“In the run up to the EU referendum, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee examined the potential implications for the province. Time and time again I warned that there would be serious border implications for the UK and Republic of Ireland. I do not want to see a change to the current border arrangements on the island of Ireland, nor do I want to see a firm border placed at Stranraer, but it is hard to see how one or the other can be avoided. Such border controls risk relegating Northern Ireland residents to the status of inferior UK citizens.
“This morning, the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland could not answer a DUP request to ‘rule out such a dangerous and nonsensical proposal’. I cannot comprehend how the DUP now seem concerned with this possible outcome when they were warned by Ulster Unionists that this could happen if we left the European Union.
“I wholeheartedly respect the democratic will of the 52% of the UK electorate who voted to leave and accept that we must begin the process of EU withdrawal. We will work tirelessly to mitigate the potential negative outcomes for our province that the DUP played fast and loose with.”