An “a la carte” Brexit reset will not be on the desk, the deputy prime minister of Ireland has warned as Sir Keir Starmer made his first official go to to the UK’s nearest neighbour.
The prime minister travelled to Dublin on Saturday to fulfill Taoiseach Simon Harris forward of the England soccer group’s match in opposition to the Republic of Ireland.
Just hours earlier than his arrival, the tánaiste mentioned that the EU needed to see an improved EU-UK relationship, however the UK couldn’t “cherry pick” new phrases.
Micheál Martin additionally blamed Brexit for the deterioration in relations between the UK and Ireland.
Speaking to reporters on the British-Irish Association convention in Oxford on Friday, Mr Martin mentioned that whereas the EU desires a “good and warm relationship” with the UK, it might not provide an “a la carte” menu from which Sir Keir can choose and select.
“We would like to have an ease of trading relationships. But it has to be mutually beneficial,” he added.
One space Mr Martin addressed straight was a assessment of the sanitary and phytosanitary guidelines below the present Brexit deal,which he mentioned made “absolute sense”.
He mentioned: “Everybody talks about being in favour of reducing red tape and bureaucracy around trade.
“I think there are easy wins here. But it’s not for me to, sort of, be telling the British government what it should aim for, what it should go for. It has to assess what it can do within its political realities.”
Irish premier Simon Harris wished Sir Keir “a hundred thousand welcomes” as the 2 leaders met at Farmleigh House in Dublin.
Mr Harris, who described Sir Keir as his good friend, mentioned: “It’s a really great honour to host you here today on your first official visit to Ireland as Prime Minister.”
He added: “We both said we wish to really place British-Irish relations on a new path and I really appreciate the time that you’ve given to us since taking office, and I’ve tried to respond in kind.
“We obviously had a call within hours of you being in Downing Street, we had a very productive meeting in Chequers in July, and I think today we’re here at Dublin to probably try to flesh out what a reset actually looks like, and what it looks like in a practical sense for our citizens on both islands.”
Mr Harris mentioned a reset in relations needed to be embedded in “peace and prosperity, mutual respect and friendship”.
He mentioned their “most solemn duty” as leaders of the UK and Irish governments was as co-guarantors of the peace course of in Northern Ireland.
Sir Keir, whose go to to Ireland is the primary by a UK prime minister in 5 years, mentioned it’s the “moment for reset” of relations between the 2 nations.
The prime minister added: “It’s a pleasure to be here, to have this opportunity that we will take to renew the friendship between our two countries.
“That reset, I think, can be meaningful, it can be deep.
“Of course, it covers the relationship between our two countries. Obviously it has to cover the Good Friday Agreement and I take very seriously our joint role in relation to that.”
Sir Keir mentioned assembly Mr Harris twice inside his first 9 weeks in workplace as Prime Minister exhibits a “real intention” to reset relationships to the “great benefit” of each the UK and Ireland.
The PM and Taoiseach additionally met Irish enterprise leaders from corporations together with Accenture, Keelings and Primark, to encourage additional commerce and funding.
Mr Harris was the primary worldwide chief hosted by Sir Keir within the UK following the July election, in a bid to foster the shut relationship.
Both leaders will attend the soccer tie, which kicks off at 5.00pm on Saturday.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-brexit-ireland-michael-martin-b2608722.html