Depending on how the EU plays things we could see old-style border checks back

The United Kingdom has the right under international law to legislate within its own borders. This would always be a principle of international law.

The UK also reserved the right to opt out of the Protocol, as did the EU.

Article 16 of the Protocol says: “If application of the Protocol leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or diversion of trade under Article 16, either the UK or EU may unilaterally take appropriate safeguards.”

The traders who have spoken to the DUP have registered strong concerns about trading difficulties and therefore in such circumstances the British government has the right to opt out of the Protocol.

Any legislation written which affects or alters the Protocol would automatically trigger Article 16 by implication.

It may well be the case that old border controls on the island of Ireland may have to come back if the EU insists that their member, the Republic, carry out checks if the EU cannot line up their solutions with the UK.

As they say in Scotland: “The haggis is in the fire for sure!”

Maurice Fitzgerald, Shanbally, Co Cork

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