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Brexit: for London, the unity of the United Kingdom is not “negotiable”

For the British Foreign Secretary, the unity of the United Kingdom is not “negotiable”. With this statement, Dominic Raab responded to the firmness displayed by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. “We are not negotiating or haggling the integrity of the UK, whether it is territorial, constitutional or the economic integrity of the UK, this is not on the table, this is not negotiable ”, declared the head of the British diplomacy on Sky News, this Friday 11 June.

London accuses the European Union of adopting a “too purist approach” as regards the application of new specific customs provisions in Northern Ireland, sources of tension in the British province. These measures were negotiated as part of the Brexit agreement signed in 2019 by the government of Boris Johnson, but are causing great tensions in the British province. These disrupt in particular trade with the island of Great Britain and arouse the anger of Unionists loyal to the British crown.

At G7, the subject is on the table

The day before these statements, Emmanuel Macron had warned that “nothing is renegotiable” on the issue of Brexit, believing that it was not “serious” to want to review in July what was finalized “after years of debate and work ”. The Head of State thus criticized London’s attitude to the new customs provisions specific to Northern Ireland. “I think the ball is in the EU’s court, we understand what the French have said and that should prompt the minds of the Commission in Brussels to adopt a more pragmatic and flexible approach,” reacted Dominic Raab.

The question was on the menu of the first tête-à-tête between US President Joe Biden, attached to his Irish roots, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, this Thursday. EU leaders plan to raise the issue this Saturday during a meeting with the British leader on the sidelines of the G7 summit in England. In an interview with the BBC, the head of the Conservative government assured that Joe Biden did not evoke American discontent about London’s attempts to reverse the “North Irish protocol”.


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