Brexit: Facing up to sovereignty in Ireland
London and Dublin must fulfil sovereign duties and make post-Brexit border work
The government of Theresa May has failed to take responsibility as the sovereign power in Northern Ireland, instead trying to please everyone with unachievable goals. Photograph: Joel Rouse – Crown Copyright via Getty
We have always believed it would be better if Ireland were united under one sovereign Irish government. But in voting for the Belfast Agreement, Irish people, North and South, decided that, subject to the continuing consent of Northern Ireland’s voters, sovereignty over the northeastern six counties should remain with the UK, even if people in the North can opt for British and Irish citizenship.
In those six counties, you pay your taxes in sterling to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs; if you evade your taxes, you may have to face the crown’s courts. This may all seem obvious but it has a less well-understood consequence, one that alarms many people in Ireland and Britain. Brexit is not possible without Britain exercising its sovereignty in Northern Ireland.