That ‘invisible’ Border

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has nixed the idea that there can be any such thing, though perhaps predictably they hedge it all a bit.

 

The British government will not have time to introduce invisible customs arrangements on the Irish border before Brexit, a group of MPs warned.

Withdrawal is due in just over a year and the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said the UK may need to remain in or parallel to the customs union and single market throughout the two-year transition period.

Parliamentarians urged the British government to do more to clarify the rules, processes and technical measures that will allow the current frictionless North/South arrangements to continue.

And:

They said ministers should develop an innovative system capable of delivering customs compliance without “ineffective and unworkable” physical infrastructure.

The committee inquiry failed to find a technical solution capable of avoiding a hard border anywhere else in the world.

Yeah, isn’t that amazing?

Though…

 

The report rejected any proposals for a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

“This would create a costly barrier to trade with Northern Ireland’s largest market and would be incompatible with the spirit and intent of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.”

Hmmm… a lot of contradictory things in there, though perhaps no surprise given the composition of the Committee.

Perhaps given that composition we should be glad it’s at least gone more than half the way to recognising the implausibility and impossibility of what has been proposed.