Brexiteers accused of ‘reckless’ comments on Northern Ireland peace process
Simon Coveney, who is also the country’s foreign minister, tweeted Sky News: “Talking down Good Friday Agreement because it raises serious and genuine questions of those pursuing #Brexit is not only irresponsible but reckless and potentially undermines the foundations of a fragile peace process in Northern Ireland that should never be taken for granted.”
The tweet followed comments by Brexit-supporting MPs Kate Hoey and Owen Paterson, who questioned the Good Friday Agreement’s validity in the midst of Brexit negotiations and the collapse of power sharing talks in Belfast.
Mr Paterson, who was secretary of state for Northern Ireland under Theresa May’s predecessor David Cameron, suggested the agreement had outlived its use, while Labour MP Ms Hoey branded it “unsustainable”.
In response, Brexit Secretary David Davis, speaking in Vienna, said: “I’m not conscious of anybody talking down the Good Friday Agreement, certainly nobody in government has.
“Everything that we are doing is aiming towards ensuring that we meet every aspect of it.
“So I don’t foresee that being a problem.”
Mr Paterson later tweeted: “Disgraceful that hysterical Remainers and Brussels are weaponising the Irish border issue.
“Brexit is emphatically not a threat to peace in Northern Ireland.”
The Irish border has become a crucial issue in Britain’s exit from the European Union, with all sides saying they want to keep the current arrangement of an open and frictionless frontier.
However, both Dublin and Brussels have insisted border checks will need to be imposed if the UK leaves the customs union and no agreement can be reached.
France’s Europe Minister, who visited the Irish border between Newry and Dundalk on Tuesday, claimed Britain had not yet presented practical solutions.
Natalie Loiseau told Sky News: “We cannot just have political statements saying we should be creative, there should be detail proposals.
“We really need to work on proper solution – we have not had that yet.”
