Democratic Unionist Party Deputy Head Slams Barnier Proposal On Border Checks Between Great Britain, N.Ireland

Deputy leader of the Northern Irish unionist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Nigel Dodds criticized on Wednesday remarks by EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who proposed to introduce checks between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th September, 2018) Deputy leader of the Northern Irish unionist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Nigel Dodds criticized on Wednesday remarks by EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who proposed to introduce checks between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

Earlier this month, Barnier called the UK government's proposals on post-Brexit trade relations unacceptable and "dead." He said that in the event that there is no Brexit deal, the United Kingdom should introduce border checks between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland in order to prevent the emergence of a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"Michel Barnier says he can do different kinds of checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as if that makes it more palatable.

The fundamental point is that internal UK checks are only needed if it is intended to separate Northern Ireland from Great Britain," Dodds said in a statement issued on its Twitter page.

Barnier's initiative was described as unacceptable by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the Labour Party.

In June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Although Brexit is scheduled for March 2019, London and Brussels still cannot agree on a number of key issues, including the Irish border and the customs arrangements, making a no-deal scenario a possibility.

On September 10, Barnier said that agreements could be finalized in late October or the beginning of November.