UK looking for allies – but what about Ireland’s friends in the EU?
Government needs to balance our ties to Britain with our role in Europe
Brexit stance: Emmanuel Macron, the French president, with Theresa May, the British PM, in London last week. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty
When Emmanuel Macron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr yesterday that the UK could have a bespoke Brexit deal only with preconditions, he offered comfort to both sides in the British debate.
For critics of a hard Brexit the French president was simply repeating what other European leaders have said: that Britain’s choice is between Norway and Canada. By ruling out membership of the single market and the customs union, Theresa May has taken the Norway option off the table, leaving herself with no choice other than a Canada-style free-trade deal.