‘Greatest HOAX in history!’ Farage tears apart key factor CORRALLING UK into ‘WORST’ deal
NIGEL Farage trashed claims a Brexit withdrawal deal could not be reached without including a backstop to avoid a hard border on the isle of Ireland, branding the suggestion the “greatest hoax in modern history.”
By AURORA BOSOTTI
Express.co.uk
Sat, Nov 17, 2018
The debate over avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic evolved into the most contentious issue of the Brexit negotiations. Theresa May this week revealed she is planning to agree to a UK-wide backstop ensuring frictionless trade between the two nations is maintained without the need of wider checks once Britain leaves the European Union in March 2019. But Nigel Farage trashed claims suggesting a backstop was necessary to strike an arrangement with Brussels.
The architect of Brexit argued a free trade deal with the bloc would have avoided a hard border as Northern Ireland already operated on a different currency and tax system than its neighbour in the south.
Speaking to LBC, Mr Farage said: “This is the greatest hoax I have seen in modern history.
“If you had a free trade deal, you have no tariff. There’s no need for checks of any kind to be on goods going north and south of the border. The whole thing is nonsense.
“Today we have a different currency, different tax rate, different excise duties between the north and the south and we operate it with no problem at all.”
The Irish backstop became the most vexed issue of the Brexit talks because the EU’s own plan was used as the building blocks for what was agreed by the Mrs May’s Europe advisor Olly Robbins and his European Commission counterparts Michel Barnier and Sabine Weyand.
After proclaiming “no British Prime Minister” could accept the terms set out by Brussels, which would have essentially kept Northern Ireland locked in the EU’s customs union and single market for goods, the Prime Minister has now agreed to a UK-wide approach to the backstop.
Fearful Brexiteers believe accepting a UK-wide customs backstop with no “independent review mechanism” allows Brussels to essentially keep Britain locked in a start of constant limbo.
Under the terms of the UK-wide backstop, Britain would be in a customs union with Brussels and therefore have to follow EU trade rules and be unable to sign independent trade deals in order to maintain a frictionless border.
Mr Farage reacted furiously to the draft withdrawal deal, branding it “the worst deal in history” and demanding Brexiteer members of Cabinet resign in protest.
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