UK 'proposes customs centres on both sides of border'

[CryingSheep]

Sure. It would gave needed both states to decide to join. So what?

Just shows the Irish decision was depending on the UK. (clearly the most influential of the two)

[CryingSheep]

Ireland is the same as the UK in this regard.

True, it's probably more a Schengen area thing rather than European Union territory.

[Old Greg]

True, it's probably more a Schengen area thing rather than European Union territory.

More likely a Common Law thing.

[meridian]

Norn Iron Manufacturing don’t like it:

Manufacturing NI on Twitter: "Frankly the proposal are worse than No Deal for Northern Ireland businesses."

[darmstadt]

[original PM]

There’s nothing complex about the Irish border - spiked

But this is what currently happens.

So that comic strip us just more utter fooking bollox.

[Mordac]

That's an inaccurate representation IMO. The situation was that the UK wasn't going to join Schengen and Ireland had to choose between Schengen and the CTA. Maintaining the CTA was the obvious choice to ensure free movement of people on the island of Ireland. It wasn't to please the UK. The political backlash in Ireland would have been immense.

It would have been fairly pointless for Ireland to join. You can't get to anywhere else in the EU (other than the UK which is covered by FTA anyway) without flying or ferrying, and you realistically need a passport for both, certainly for air travel, and it's recommended for ferry travel, and official photo ID is mandatory.
On a side note, does anyone know if the soon-to-be new Irish Passport Card will be anything other than a fancy name for an ID card, or if it will become a suitable substitute for a passport when flying (within the EU)?

[Mordac]

There’s nothing complex about the Irish border - spiked

But this is what currently happens.

So that comic strip us just more utter fooking bollox.

Smuggling? What, you mean crossing the border for petrol/booze/fags etc. depending on where the duty is lower?
What a novel suggestion. I can't believe nobody has thought of it before...

[Old Greg]

It would have been fairly pointless for Ireland to join. You can't get to anywhere else in the EU (other than the UK which is covered by FTA anyway) without flying or ferrying, and you realistically need a passport for both, certainly for air travel, and it's recommended for ferry travel, and official photo ID is mandatory.
On a side note, does anyone know if the soon-to-be new Irish Passport Card will be anything other than a fancy name for an ID card, or if it will become a suitable substitute for a passport when flying (within the EU)?

You absolutely do not need a passport for the ferry, but you do need photo ID (as you do I think between NI and GB).

The passport card is just a passport, not a stealth ID card. The government has screwed up the Public Services Card already. The Explainer: Why is there so much controversy over the Public Services Card?

[Old Greg]

There’s nothing complex about the Irish border - spiked

But this is what currently happens.

So that comic strip us just more utter fooking bollox.

Spiked! You are funny.