Irish Government appear to have no Plan B for Brexit

Leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin TD, reacted to the latest developments in Westminster and the seeming paralysis of Leo Varadkar’s government on the risk of a ‘no deal’ Brexit and repeated his call for a people’s vote.

Deputy Howlin said:

“With the comprehensive defeat of the Withdrawal Agreement in Westminster yesterday, there is little hope that an amended version of the agreement could ever be passed by that parliament. With that as a near-certainty, the focus must now be squarely on Plan B.

“Prime Minister Theresa May has three days to produce an alternative course of action that might satisfy the British Parliament, but more importantly Leo Varadkar and our Government need to reassure our people that we are ready for all eventualities.

“The notion that the Government can simply cling to the existing deal, versus no deal at all, is naïve and dangerous. No deal would imply catastrophic consequences for everyone in Ireland, especially for border communities. Is insisting on the current agreement, which has clearly little or no prospect of House of Commons approval, the only strategy the Government has?

“I believe that no alternative proposition will command a majority in the House of Commons, and therefore the only option now is for a fresh people’s vote, on what is demonstrably an entirely changed set of circumstances.”