The government has admitted there will be checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea after the Brexit transition period – despite Boris Johnson’s promises there would be no such barriers.
The UK government has written to Northern Ireland’s executive confirming that new physical “infrastructure” will be funded at a series of ports.
Declan Kearney, a junior minister at the executive office, told a Stormont committee that London officials had provided a briefing on Monday about the latest stage of trade negotiations with the EU.
He said the Westminster government has “confirmed that it will urgently put in place detailed plans with the executive, which does include the physical posts at ports of entry”.
Last November Mr Johnson was filmed telling business leaders in Northern Ireland there would be “no checks” on goods. The prime minister claimed he would “tell them to throw that form in the bin” if they were asked to fill out any extra paperwork.
The letter from the UK government to the devolved executive at Stormont explained there would be new border posts at ports in Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne, according to The Guardian.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson claimed the UK government had always been clear there would be “requirements for live animals and agri-food” at ports like Larne and Belfast. “We want to work with Northern Ireland businesses and the executive to ensure new admin procedures are streamlined and efficient,” the spokesperson said.
The Liberal Democrats’ Brexit spokesperson Alistair Carmichael responded: “Johnson’s government has failed to give businesses much-needed clarity on this issue. It now seems Johnson was deeply dishonest with businesses when he previously asserted there would be no checks and businesses could put paperwork ‘in the bin’.”
Naomi Smith – chief executive of the Best for Britain group campaigning for close alignment with the EU – said the government had made “clear commitments” that there would be no checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea.
“By now acknowledging these checks will take place, the government is recognising the challenges it faces to uphold the Northern Ireland protocol are far more complex than they first admitted,” said Ms Smith.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove last week admitted that the UK may accept the “price” of tariffs on goods to strike a trade deal with the European Union. He also said there may have to be border checks in the Irish Sea – but refused to reveal details.
Northern Ireland is set to continue to follow EU single market rules on agricultural and manufactured goods after Brexit, while the rest of the UK will stop following these rules at the end of 2020.
“They have signalled that in order to implement the protocol for 1 January in a way that we all want, which is of course to avoid disruption to trade,” Mr Kearney told the Stormont committee about the UK government’s briefing.
“Delivery on that infrastructure needs to start as soon as possible, and the British government has indicated that it will provide advice on the requirements and the funding to put that in place.”
Mr Kearney described June as a “pivotal month” for Brexit negotiations, pointing to the end of that month as the deadline to request an extension of the transition period, which is due to conclude at the end of the year.
He added that there has been no indication so far that the UK government will seek an extension. He insisted a decision on transition “needs to be addressed within the next few weeks”.
