No-deal Brexit now a 'very serious risk,' Irish official says

Sat, 24 Aug 2019

No-deal Brexit now a 'very serious risk,' Irish official says

News24
13 Jun 2019, 06:43 GMT+10

The prospect of the UK crashing out of the European Union in October is now a "very serious" risk, a senior Irish foreign ministry official said.

"Since March, there is an exhaustion with Brexit," Rory Montgomery, who has helped oversee Ireland's preparations for the UK's exit from the bloc, said at an event in Nicosia on Wednesday. "The British government need to ask for an extension and it's going to be difficult for a Conservative leader to do so."

Boris Johnson, front-runner to replace Theresa May as prime minister, said on Wednesday he doesn't want a no-deal Brexit but the UK must prepare for one as a negotiating tactic. Like most other contenders for the job, he is promising to demand concessions from the bloc on the backstop, the device designed to avoid the re-emergence of a hard border in Ireland.

Dialing down his earlier rhetoric, Johnson said he wants a "sensible, orderly" divorce, but stuck with his vow to leave the bloc on October 31.

Montgomery said he sees no sign that EU support for Ireland will fracture.

"There is a very strong sense that Ireland is a member state and the UK is leaving so I don't think they will throw us under the bus," he said.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Middle East Star.

More Information

Sports

BWF World Championships: PV Sindhu enters finals

Basel [Switzerland], Aug 24 (ANI): Indian Shuttler PV Sindhu defeated China's Chen Yu Fei 21-7, 21-14 to enter the finals ...

UPSET ALERT! Australia beat world basketball champs USA for 1st time

Melbourne - San Antonio Spurs' Patty Mills sank a game-high 30 points as Australia beat the United States for the ...

Jaitley was BJP's man for all seasons

New Delhi [India], Aug 24, 2019 (ANI): Articulate, knowledgeable and versatile- Arun Jaitley was BJP's man for all seasons and ...

United fans will back Pogba after racist abuse: Solskjaer

Manchester - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Manchester United fans to rally around Paul Pogba after he suffered racist abuse on ...

Province trio set for overseas moves

Cape Town - Western Province are set to lose three players to overseas clubs, namely utility back Damian Willemse, prop ...

Sancho inspires Dortmund comeback against spirited Cologne

Berlin - Jadon Sancho inspired a late comeback as a sluggish Borussia Dortmund beat promoted side Cologne 3-1 in their ...

International

African children forced from school by conflict

A surge in "deliberate" attacks against students, teachers and schools in West and Central Africa has led to a tripling ...

After 34 years, Rotary and partners to nail global polio-eradication

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo - What started out as an extraordinary ambition for a global service group 34 years ago, ...

Disaster risk reduction a must for nations in Asia Pacific, says ESCAP

Changing patterns and worsening impacts of natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific, coupled with environmental degradation and climate change, ...

U.S. law enforcement nail man who pretended to be federal agent

CINCINNATI, Ohio - When Shane Ryan Hammond burst into an Ohio home in 2017 to apprehend a suspected bail jumper, ...

Afghanistan War claims lives of two more U.S. troops

KABUL, Afghanistan - Two U.S. soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan.Their deaths, confirmed by a statement from NATO, ...

Filipino students need to know about Holocaust, says Israel

PASIG CITY, Philippines - Israeli has formally requested the story of the Holocaust be added to the education curriculum in ...

Movie Review

A Face in the Crowd [Blu-Ray]

Face in the Crowd