The idea of amending the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, circulated in the UK media as a possible option for the government to dispense with the need for the contentious Irish "backstop," is a "non-starter," since it would open up "another can of worms," Paul Murphy, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament, told Sputnik on Monday
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) The idea of amending the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, circulated in the UK media as a possible option for the government to dispense with the need for the contentious Irish "backstop," is a "non-starter," since it would open up "another can of worms," Paul Murphy, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament, told Sputnik on Monday.Earlier in the day, The Daily Telegraph reported that Prime Minister Theresa May was mulling rewriting the 1998 cornerstone accord on the Northern Ireland peace process to remove the Irish border backstop provision from the withdrawal agreement and ultimately win support for her Brexit deal. To this end, May was reportedly hoping to initiate bilateral talks with Dublin. The claims have been denied by May, however she is yet to present her plans to the parliament later on Monday.
"I think it would clearly be a non-starter and I would presume as an idea it would be effectively dead by the end of the day ... There's no way that anyone else would agree, the Irish government or anyone else, would agree to the re-opening of negotiations on that. It would just open up another can of worms so it's clearly not going to happen," Murphy said.
Another reason why Dublin would never agree to such an offer is its determination to "negotiate with the strength of the EU," rather than engage in bilateral talks.
"In reality there's no way the Irish government would go for it. The Irish government wants to negotiate with the strength of the EU at its back and that's how it will conduct negotiations, so that's the truth. I presume [May] also had to know this so she's just trying to make out she has a way out here when she doesn't," he clarified.
According to Murphy, reported suggestions about rewriting the 1998 accord show May is "clearly in a very difficult position," and is "looking desperately for some way out."
Meanwhile, neither London nor Brussels are genuinely concerned about interests of those living in Northern Ireland, Murphy said, arguing that the issue is actively used as a political leverage by the European Union.
"It does show the Tory government in general has a lack of real concern for people in the north, but that's not just them ... I don't think EU leaders really care about people in the north either ... I think everyone is happy to use the north as a tool in a game of political football when it suits their argument to do so," he opined.
Murphy voiced doubt that May would manage to come up with a new deal, which would satisfy all parties.
"It seems to me from here that her [Brexit] deal is certainly dead. Whether she can come up with another deal that will satisfy both the Leavers and Remainers within the Tories and keep the DUP [Democrat Unionist Party] on board ... it seems to me quite unlikely," he argued.
Given the paralysis of the UK parliament and its inability to find any agreement on anything, "the question of a general election will come back on the agenda again," Murphy concluded.
