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The Republic of Ireland will face potential disruption of medical supplies, customs delays, the loss of fishing rights and a ban on the transport of horses to the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a paper drawn up in Whitehall has warned.

Michael Gove’s Brexit operations committee has compiled a list of the issues that Dublin will face in a no-deal Brexit, to be used as “leverage” during last-ditch discussions in the event that negotiations break down.

The Times understands that issues raised by ministers include:

• The fact that 60 per cent of Ireland’s medicines come from the UK.

• Customs checks causing lengthy delays on the bridge to Holyhead, from where freight traffic travels to Ireland.

• The potential loss of fishing…

Ireland warned to expect disruption to medicines and fishing in no-deal Brexit
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Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor | Henry Zeffman, Political Correspondent | The Times

October 6 2019, 6:00pm, The Sunday Times

The Republic of Ireland will face potential disruption of medical supplies, customs delays, the loss of fishing rights and a ban on the transport of horses to the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a paper drawn up in Whitehall has warned.

Michael Gove’s Brexit operations committee has compiled a list of the issues that Dublin will face in a no-deal Brexit, to be used as “leverage” during last-ditch discussions in the event that negotiations break down.

The Times understands that issues raised by ministers include:

• The fact that 60 per cent of Ireland’s medicines come from the UK.

• Customs checks causing lengthy delays on the bridge to Holyhead, from where freight traffic travels to Ireland.

• The potential loss of fishing rights off the coast of Northern Ireland.

• Disruption to “equine transport” between the Republic and the UK.

Ministers are also considering a range of “sweeteners” to offer Dublin, including a commitment to help fund the infrastructure needed to enforce customs checks between the North and South.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, suggested that Britain could amend its proposals to give Northern Irish parties a veto on the regulations that apply in the province after Brexit.

Speaking this morning on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Barclay said: “The key issue is the principle of consent. That’s why the backstop was rejected three times. That was the concern in terms of both sides in Northern Ireland not approving of the backstop.

“So the key is the principle of consent. Now, of course in the mechanism, as part of the intensive negotiations, we can look at that and discuss that.”

Mr Barclay reiterated that Northern Ireland giving consent to abiding by regulations set in Brussels was “the key issue of principle” but added that “we can obviously as part of the intense negotiations in the coming days discuss that mechanism”.

Under the existing UK proposal, Northern Ireland’s Stormont assembly would vote every four years on whether to remain aligned with the EU’s single market rules for goods. But the Irish government opposes this, as does every major Northern Irish party but for the DUP, the Conservatives’ allies in Westminster.

Asked if the government was “going to move” on its current proposal, Mr Barclay said: “Well, we’ve set out a broad landing zone, so in the detail of the negotiations of course we can get into the detail as to how operationally they work [and] what legal certainty is required by the commission as of October 31.

“But the point is the commission themselves proposed customs checks away from the border, and in terms of the all-of-Ireland economy that would have had a bigger impact in terms of trade to Great Britain than it does to Northern Ireland.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a new rebellion from his cabinet over concerns of a no-deal Brexit, with a group of cabinet ministers poised to resign, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan, British Minister for Northern Ireland Julian Smith, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, Health Minister Matt Hancock and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox are all on a "resignation watch list", according to The Times report.

An unnamed cabinet minister cited by the newspaper said that a "very large number" of Conservative members of parliament would also quit if it came to a no-deal Brexit.

The Times said that ministers had warned Johnson in a cabinet meeting about the "grave" risk of the return of direct rule in Northern Ireland and raised concerns about Dominic Cummings, Johnson's most senior adviser.