Ahmet Gürhan Kartal
05 February 2019•Update: 06 February 2019
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday her commitment to avoiding a hard border in the island of Ireland is “unshakable”.
Speaking in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, May underlined that she understands “this is a concerning time for many people here in Northern Ireland.”
"But we will find a way to deliver Brexit that honors our commitments to Northern Ireland that commands broad support across the communities in Northern Ireland and that secures a majority in the Westminster parliament, which is the best way to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland,” she added.
The border between Northern Ireland -- a U.K. region -- and the Republic of Ireland -- an EU member -- has been one of the thorniest issues in Brexit negotiations.
A deal reached by May and EU leaders was rejected by the British lawmakers because of its “backstop” clause in January.
May said she hoped “we can also take steps to move towards the restoration of devolution; so that politicians in Northern Ireland can get back to work on the issues that matter to the people they represent.”
The assembly of Northern Ireland has not been formed despite endless talks since the election held in March 2017 after the devolved government’s collapse with the resignation of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness over a botched energy saving scheme.
"For ultimately, the measure of this moment in Northern Ireland's history must be more than whether we avoid a return to the challenges of the past," she said.
May to visit Brussels
Downing Street on Tuesday revealed that May will be heading to Brussels on Thursday to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss “alternative arrangements” to the backstop clause.
"The PM is determined to do what it takes to get the changes required for parliament to support leaving the EU with a deal," a spokesperson to the prime minister said.
May was given a mandate last week by British lawmakers to renegotiate alternative arrangements to the backstop as it has been the main hindrance before a majority vote from the MPs across the House of Commons for the withdrawal agreement she reached with the EU.
Irish border and backstop
As the U.K. will leave the bloc, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will remain the only land border between the U.K. and the EU.
The border at the moment is invisible, and people, goods and services can travel through it freely. But as the U.K. leaves the EU, the border, technically, will need some sort of checks.
Due to the sensitive nature of the region and because free passage is one of the crucial articles of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, the U.K., EU, Northern Ireland and Ireland all reject the idea of returning to a hard border where checkpoints and customs buildings will need to be installed.
The main disagreement over the border issue has been over an EU-suggested backstop -- keeping Northern Ireland in the EU single market and customs union after Brexit until a solution is found -- because it would create a sort of a border within the U.K. in the Irish Sea.
May has continuously said they would not give in to any solution that would divide the U.K.
The Democratic Unionist Party, which is also Northern Ireland’s biggest political party, has said it would not agree on any final deal that would separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K.
Therefore, May negotiated a backstop for the whole of the U.K. and the deal included this after an agreement was reached with the EU. However, the deal was rejected by lawmakers with a majority of 230 votes in a vote on Jan. 15.
