Re: Brexit - Should I stay or should I go??
Today's events
The DUP shifts position, will now support a deal.
Back in the Supreme Court
Meanwhile, the police in Northern Ireland want no part of border checkpoints between Ireland and NI (which, as a reminder, is a violation of international law and a war crime)
Stories came from The Guardian
Meanwhile, the EU Council voted overwhelmingly to approve an extension if the UK were to ask.
Today's events
The DUP shifts position, will now support a deal.
The Democratic Unionist party’s leader, Arlene Foster, has signaled it is ready to do a Brexit deal, indicating for the first time a willingness to accept a bespoke solution for Northern Ireland.
She was speaking just hours before she held an “unplanned” meeting with the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, amid signs of a Brexit thaw between Belfast and Dublin.
In a break with previous rhetoric where she has strongly opposed treating the region differently to the rest of the UK, Foster said the final deal would have to recognise Northern Ireland’s unique historical and geographical position and the fact it will be the UK’s only land border with the EU.
She was speaking just hours before she held an “unplanned” meeting with the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, amid signs of a Brexit thaw between Belfast and Dublin.
In a break with previous rhetoric where she has strongly opposed treating the region differently to the rest of the UK, Foster said the final deal would have to recognise Northern Ireland’s unique historical and geographical position and the fact it will be the UK’s only land border with the EU.
In combative closing comments, Aidan O’Neill QC called on the 11 justices hearing the prorogation case to reject legal arguments advanced by the government that the courts do not have the power to intervene in the decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks.
His speech was delivered at the end of the second day of the emergency hearing at the UK’s highest court into whether the prime minister’s advice to the Queen to suspend debates at a time of a national constitutional crisis over Brexit was lawful.
“What we have with this prorogation is the mother of parliaments closed down by the father of lies,” declared O’Neill, who had won his claim in the Scottish courts. “Lies have consequences but the truth will set us free. Rather than allow lies to triumph, this court should listen to the angels of its better nature and rule that this prorogation is an unlawful abuse of the power of prorogation which has been entrusted to the government.
His speech was delivered at the end of the second day of the emergency hearing at the UK’s highest court into whether the prime minister’s advice to the Queen to suspend debates at a time of a national constitutional crisis over Brexit was lawful.
“What we have with this prorogation is the mother of parliaments closed down by the father of lies,” declared O’Neill, who had won his claim in the Scottish courts. “Lies have consequences but the truth will set us free. Rather than allow lies to triumph, this court should listen to the angels of its better nature and rule that this prorogation is an unlawful abuse of the power of prorogation which has been entrusted to the government.
“This government has proved itself unworthy of our trust as it uses the power [of its] office ... which is corrosive of the constitution and destructive of the system of parliamentary democracy on which our union polity is founded. Enough is enough. Dismiss this appeal and let them know that. This is what truth speaking to power sounds like.”
In contrast with other lawyers who addressed the supreme court this week through detailed reference to past cases and subsections of legislations, O’Neill adopted a centuries-long historical perspective and an emotive approach to the nature of the UK’s constitution.
Urging judges not to make this a “Dred Scott moment” – referring to the landmark 1857 US supreme court case that affirmed slave owners’ rights and paved the way to the civil war – O’Neill urged the court to “stand up for truth, stand up for reasons, stand up for unity in diversity, stand up for democracy”.
The justices should dismiss the government’s appeal against the ruling by the inner house of Scotland’s court of session by “upholding a constitution governed by laws not by the passing whims of men”, he said.
In contrast with other lawyers who addressed the supreme court this week through detailed reference to past cases and subsections of legislations, O’Neill adopted a centuries-long historical perspective and an emotive approach to the nature of the UK’s constitution.
Urging judges not to make this a “Dred Scott moment” – referring to the landmark 1857 US supreme court case that affirmed slave owners’ rights and paved the way to the civil war – O’Neill urged the court to “stand up for truth, stand up for reasons, stand up for unity in diversity, stand up for democracy”.
The justices should dismiss the government’s appeal against the ruling by the inner house of Scotland’s court of session by “upholding a constitution governed by laws not by the passing whims of men”, he said.
In written submissions, Lord Garnier QC, representing the former prime minister John Major, said it would be remarkable if the courts took the view “that there is nothing in law to prevent a prime minister from proroguing parliament in any circumstances or for any reason”.
He added: “The fact that there are constitutional safeguards which operate on the well-intentioned [prime minister] is no reason for the courts to reject any possibility of intervening even in other cases.”
He added: “The fact that there are constitutional safeguards which operate on the well-intentioned [prime minister] is no reason for the courts to reject any possibility of intervening even in other cases.”
Northern Ireland’s chief constable has said his police officers could be killed if they had to patrol border checkpoints in the event of a hard Brexit.
Simon Byrne told the Guardian he opposed officers having to patrol checkpoints on a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and said officers who were already under huge strain would be placed in danger policing any checkpoints.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has faced a number of recent attempts by dissident republicans to kill its officers and Byrne said only “luck” had prevented a murder, and he feared that could run out.
The chief constable, who took up his post in July, said: “People do not want a return to the images of 20-30 years ago, where, frankly, history shows us that far more police officers and 20,000 soldiers could not protect the border, so I doubt we are going to do it now.
“We are very clear here. We do not support the establishment of checkpoints or monitoring cameras right near the border and we’d be very reluctant to be drawn there because of the threat to our officers.”
Simon Byrne told the Guardian he opposed officers having to patrol checkpoints on a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic and said officers who were already under huge strain would be placed in danger policing any checkpoints.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has faced a number of recent attempts by dissident republicans to kill its officers and Byrne said only “luck” had prevented a murder, and he feared that could run out.
The chief constable, who took up his post in July, said: “People do not want a return to the images of 20-30 years ago, where, frankly, history shows us that far more police officers and 20,000 soldiers could not protect the border, so I doubt we are going to do it now.
“We are very clear here. We do not support the establishment of checkpoints or monitoring cameras right near the border and we’d be very reluctant to be drawn there because of the threat to our officers.”
Meanwhile, the EU Council voted overwhelmingly to approve an extension if the UK were to ask.
Comment