Brexit: Ireland will hold the UK to border agreement

Ireland has lashed out at the British government after Brexit secretary David Davis said the divorce agreement was a "statement of intent".

After an agreement was reached on the Irish border, setting the UK on the path for phase two of the divorce deal, regarding the question of trade, the Irish government weren’t pleased with Brexit minister David Davis saying that the deal was not something legally enforceable.

Theresa May, who believed "a new sense of optimism" had come into the process, was also on record to the same effect, having said that, "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".

Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, responded to Davis’s remarks claiming that the deal will be "upheld in all circumstances, irrespective of the nature of any future agreement between the EU and the UK."

Ireland’s chief whip, Joe McHugh told RTE that it’s nonsensical to agree to a deal that will not be legally enforced.

"We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the United Kingdom to account, as will the European Union. My question to anybody within the British government would be: why would there be an agreement, a set of principled agreements, in order to get to phase two, if they weren’t going to be held up? That just sounds bizarre to me. This, as far as we’re concerned, is a binding agreement, an agreement in principle."

The Labour party also weighed in on the subject, with Labour MP Keir Starmer saying: “Labour will not allow any rowing back on promises made that would put the union or the peace process at risk.” He also added: “The agreement made last week should be treated as binding and was expressly intended to be part of the article 50 withdrawal agreement."

In an interview with the BBC, Davis was also clear that the divorce bill would not be paid unless a trade deal was reached.

Chancellor Philip Hammond on the other hand said it would be "inconceivable" that the UK would run away from its international responsibilities.

"That is not a credible scenario. That is not the kind of country we are. Frankly, it would not make us a credible partner for future international agreements."