Brexit Backstop

[feebletoe1492]

Am I missing something...? Why cant the backstop be moved to the southern Irish ports?..That way Ireland can still work as it does according to the good Friday agreement. EU/Irish goods can go backwards forwards as it does today. UK border force can do checks there rather like they do in Calais where they work with the French...banks on both sides of the border can do currency exchanges...I bet I've missed something.

[Jackdaw33]

What puzzles me is that although I know what the term refers to, the word 'Backstop' is meaningless to me.

[Buenchico]

A couple of points come to mind in response to your suggestion:

1. If the paperwork for a lorry arriving at a port in the Republic shows that it's destination is a warehouse in Dublin, there will be no duty to pay. If the paperwork shows that its destination is a warehouse in Belfast, there will be duty to pay. What's to stop an importer from declaring that the destination is Dublin when (either directly or with a stop in Dublin on the way to add an element of truth to the declaration) it's actually going to Belfast?

2. If a manufacturer in Dublin wants to send goods to the a buyer's warehouse in Belfast, there will be duty to be paid. (The same will apply if it's a Belfast manufacturer sending good to Dublin). So where will those consignments come to the attention of the relevant customs officials?

[ToraToraTora]

for JD and the OP, the phrase "backstop" refers to a default legal position should the EUSSR/UK fail to agree terms within 2 years. It's not a border. Basically the whole border issue has thus far proved insoluble so in order that the EUSSR would accept the rest of Mrs May's "deal" they demanded a legal guarentee should a formal agreement not be made. As it happens Mrs May's deal was unnacceptable for many more reasons.

[feebletoe1492]

I knew I forgot something....although UK/Irish border force could check at customs for destinations at ports.So vat etc could be paid at source there...I'm pretty sure if it's an Ireland to UK cross border there can be an Irish/UK agreement...(not sure what though...at least it keeps Ireland moving....gotta be better than what's been proposed ATM

[Jackdaw33]

Roll on 31/10/19 when hopefully we will then be rid of this pile of excrement.

[retrocop]

I have noticed when driving to Bruges via Coquelles eurotunnel there are always French Douanes cars patrolling the main autoroute. They are always pulling English registered cars who may be returning from Adenkirke in Belgium. This little Hamlet is a haven for booze cruise smugglers doing the baccy run back to the UK. Apparently local duty paid in Belgium is less than that in France. There,obviously,is no longer a border post between the two countries but you can see where it was as you drive through.
Why can't customs patrol the roads between the Republic and Eire and randomly tug vehicles as they do in France? Sorry. Is that too simple?

[feebletoe1492]

Sounds simple to me....

[THECORBYLOON]

Random checks on private cars would pick up a percentage
of transactions where duty is due but what about commercial transport? "Northern Ireland exported about £4 billion worth of goods and services to the Republic of Ireland in 2016.

The Republic of Ireland exportedroughly £1.3 billion of goods to Northern Ireland in the same year, according to their own figures"

How would those exports be monitored?

[Mozz71]

//Roll on 31/10/19 when hopefully we will then be rid of this pile of excrement.//

Harsh, the Northern Irish aren't that bad.

[feebletoe1492]

Make the island of Ireland duty free ...a bit like jersey used to be..no monitoring of trucks,lorry's or cars need to be made then ..but to compensate raise corporation tax