N. Ireland tries to win Westminster over on customs union membership
The Northern Ireland issue, which was addressed by the European Commission (EC) last week, was undoubtedly the most important agenda item for the U.K. last week. A draft legal agreement prepared by the EC proposes that North Ireland as part of the U.K. could well remain a “common regulatory area” after Brexit. The draft clearly suggests keeping Northern Ireland within the customs union while the U.K. leaves both the union and the single market. The draft says that "the territory of Northern Ireland... shall be considered to be part of the customs territory of the Union.”
The question remains as to how a part of the U.K can be subjected to EU regulations while the whole country leaves the customs union. As expected, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May strongly reacted to the proposal on Wednesday with a speech in Parliament.
"The draft legal text the commission has published would, if implemented, undermines the U.K. common market and threatens the constitutional integrity of the U.K. by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea, and no U.K. prime minister could ever agree to it," May said.
By alluding to “no U.K. Prime Minister”, the message could be interpreted as a dig at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who recently suggested that the U.K. could continue remaining in the customs union while leaving the European Union.
Brussels would have known that separating a part of a sovereign country would not be possible without the consent of Westminster. However, this could be seen as a game of provocation on behalf of Brussels, which is already aware of the changing climate in the U.K. Since the EU referendum, there has been a general consensus to remain in the customs union while bringing stability to the Brexit process. It would also bring relief to businesses suffering from rising uncertainty. In addition, the main opposition, the Labour party suggested keeping the country in the customs union. For some, the EU’s draft proposal and the timing of Corbyn’s strategic move are not mere coincidence.
The U.K. newspaper, the Metro reported that meetings between the European Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier and the Labour delegation, led by Corbyn, took place on July 13, 2017, Oct. 19, 2017, and Feb. 5, 2018. According to the paper, Corbyn discussed changes to his party politics with Barnier and reportedly agreed that their strategy would be to remain in the customs union. This claim could well be another chess move in the U.K.’s internal affairs on the international stage, with each move reflecting the U.K.’s future political outlook. The Labour party, which won 40 percent of the votes in last year’s election, is aware of the concerns and expectations of businesses in the U.K. relating to the Brexit. It is evident that the business world does not like uncertainty at a time when the end of the two-year leave process is fast approaching in March 2019.
May’s election gamble backfired last year and led her to lose the majority government in Parliament. The decision to leave the customs union might well be a second gamble in which her biggest rival Corbyn could be the winner by ending up at Number 10. If so, Corbyn could reach a quick deal with Brussels judging by his previous negotiations with the EU.