It’s been ruled out…
Special status for Northern Ireland following Brexit has effectively been ruled by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire.
Speaking to the House of Commons, Brokenshire said a special status would be the wrong approach and such a deal could undermine its place within the United Kingdom.
Brokenshire instead said that they were working on a deal that would work best for all parts of the UK and not just Northern Ireland.
He was replying to a question from DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who said that all parts of the UK should leave the EU on an equal basis.
Earlier this week, Sinn Féin launched a campaign to secure a special status for Northern Ireland within the EU following Brexit. The move is also supported by the SDLP.
Brokenshire also voiced his support for a frictionless border with between the north and south of Ireland but refused to go into specifics on the relationship between the pair following Brexit.
The Northern Ireland Secretary’s comments come a week after the DUP’s Diane Dodds complained in the European Parliament about the potential cost of Brexit on farming and agriculture in Northern Ireland.
She received a very short response from MEP Paul Brannen who seemed to take great delight in the irony of the situation.
Video via North East Labour team in European Parliament
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
