The prime minister, Theresa May, has rejected the European Union's proposal for the Northern Ireland border after Brexit. In a speech in Belfast on Friday, Mrs May said she would not accept any "backstop" to avoid customs checks at the border. May said "no UK prime minister could ever agree" to the proposal, which would in effect keep Northern Ireland within a customs union. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, called for the UK to set out an alternative proposal.
The prime minister, Theresa May, has rejected the European Union's proposal for the Northern Ireland border after Brexit. The EU draft legal agreement calls for a "backstop" in the event that the UK fails to find a solution, which would be an "area without internal borders in which the free movement of goods is ensured". May said "no UK prime minister could ever agree" to the proposal, which would in effect keep Northern Ireland within a customs union. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, called for the UK to set out an alternative proposal.