The prime minister, Theresa May, has rejected the European Union's proposal for the Northern Ireland border after Brexit. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith - who rebelled on EU votes during Sir John's time in Downing Street - told the BBC: "He was not a prime minister who was too keen on free votes when he was there." 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. 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.