Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has again warned that the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom, must not be used as a bargaining chip as the Brexit negotiations move to the endgame.

Jim Nicholson MEP said:

“Now is the time for cool heads and calm nerves. This is a Nation that has stood together through triumphs and disasters and that has endured. It would be an absolute calamity beyond measure if the Brexit process was to result in the UK Government agreeing to Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK, by being left inside the EU, or subject to EU rules and regulations whilst Great Britain was not.

“In short, Brexit must not be allowed to deliver what thirty years of IRA terrorism failed to.

“The comments by the Sunday Times Political Editor on Twitter should come as a wake-up call for all those who value the Union.

“New generations have emerged for whom the shared memory of the struggles and suffering of the last century – such as The Somme and the role played in World War Two - are ancient history. Huge support on the UK Mainland for the Unionists of Ulster as they opposed the Third Home Rule Bill is but an historical footnote now.

“The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently warned about the need for Northern Ireland to play a full role in the life of the Nation and of the dangers of allowing ourselves to be seen – willingly or otherwise - as ‘little Ulstermen.’ We have rarely needed friends and allies at Westminster - across all parties - more than we need them now.

“It has been quite clear for some time that there are those who would seek to use Brexit as a vehicle to opportunistically renew the push towards a United Ireland. That is only to be expected from Sinn Fein and the Dublin Government, but it is not natural territory for those who would claim to be pro-Union.

“Brexit cannot and must not be used to establish an internal border within the United Kingdom. The referendum was about whether or not the UK left the EU, it was NOT about whether or not Northern Ireland left the UK.

“Indeed no party in the UK Parliament has voiced support for a sea border between Great Britain and the island of Ireland, and that is a position that must be held. As we approach the Brexit endgame, we can expect all kinds of brinkmanship and yes, even blackmail from elements in Brussels that want to extract a very high price from the UK.  But one thing is clear, the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom must not be used as a bargaining chip.

“Despite Brussels’ surprise at the level of opposition to their proposals on Northern Ireland, the EU27 is still playing hardball on the issue. But the fact remains there will only be an Irish Sea border if our own Government agrees to it.

“Whilst words from the Government thus far have been encouraging, and the Prime Minister has repeatedly stated her strong commitment to the Union, there is no getting away from the fact that she is returning from a gruelling summit in Salzburg to what by all accounts will be a difficult Conservative party conference. I fear this puts us in a precarious position, thanks in large part to what we now see as the tactical blunder of the December agreement, concocted over a weekend of confusion between the Government and the DUP.”