Micheál Martin: ‘British government lacks Brexit strategy’

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has unleashed a scathing attack on the British government and demanded that the EU recognises a special status for Northern Ireland after the UK leaves the European Union.

In a speech at Queen's University Belfast last night, Mr Martin described the British Government's approach to Brexit as lacking strategy and competence, "which would be funny were it not so serious".

Mr Martin highlighted the contradictions in the British approach so far:

“They expect access to the single market and customs union as well as no access to the single market and customs union; protection of current economic flows as well as their replacement with new trade relations . . . limited residence rights for EU citizens in the UK with continued EU residence rights for UK citizens, and respect for the devolved administrations with those devolved administrations being denied any right to vote on decisions of the UK government.”

“This only covers matters where they have gone on the record. The off-the-record briefings have been even less coherent,” Mr Martin added.

"As if channelling Humpty Dumpty, the Whitehall position appears to be 'when we use the word Brexit it means just what we say it means – no more and no less'.

‘Drift off’

Mr Martin said new structures should be created to facilitate ongoing British co-operation with the EU, as the UK could be allowed to “drift off”.

“In fact there should be an effort to create formal and permanent ministerial-level engagement,” he said.

“As a continuing member of the EU, Ireland has a right to expect a substantial demonstration of solidarity from the other post-Brexit members . . . We are showing solidarity with the European Union and it must show us the same. In addition, and far more practically, the EU cannot afford to let members suffer for remaining true to the union,” he said.

Mr Martin said that state aid rules should be set aside to allow aid particularly to companies while they worked to mitigate the effects of Brexit.

He also said that the rights of EU citizens in the North must be protected after the UK leaves by granting a special status for the North.

"Northern Ireland will contain the largest concentration anywhere of EU citizens living outside of the boundaries of the EU. It is an absolute obligation on the EU to reflect this unique reality with a special status for Northern Ireland – and it is also an absolute obligation on the UK to reflect this unique reality," he said.

Citing legal pleadings by the British Government in the case take in the Belfast High Court to block Brexit, Mr Martin said that London had accepted the Northern institutions were obliged to act in accordance with EU law under the Good Friday Agreement

“I believe the only fair reading of this, taken together with the EU citizenship of Northern Ireland residents and the Northern Ireland vote for Remain, is that the UK is obliged to seek and the EU is obliged to support a generous special status for Northern Ireland post-Brexit,” he said.