Dear Greg, please give a bit more thought


ClarkeAs someone who is interested to find out how we will leave the EU and how the post Brexit approach will operate, the issue of the Northern/Southern Ireland border is a vital aspect. Listening to this man speaking to Andrew Marr this morning, I was left slightly disturbed. He was interviewed after Arlene Foster and yet their combined comments seemed to leave the Irish border unaffected, but equally incapable of performing a hidden barrier between the EU and the UK. Arlene spoke about the internet would keep a track on goods via ANPR and Greg spoke about how web based tracking such as parcel tracking mechanisms allow us to keep an eye on parcels moving around the country. This is of course true on both counts and all the while we are living in a society where the land is open to free trade agreements, there is nothing to be concerned about. However on the day a rule in the UK changes from the rules in the EU and the cost of buying goods in Dublin becomes more or less than the cost of buying goods in Belfast as a result of rules this will all change. If for example Liam Fox gets his way and we start to allow chlorine washed chickens into the UK, how will Cork or Dublin residents be prevented from buying them in their local supermarket. And once they have got to Eire, how will Belgium be able to prevent them from landing in Antwerp? These transactions will only be trackable if the businesses concerned want them to be tracked. If ANPR systems worked in the way Arlene argues they do, why have they not stopped the sale of illegal goods on both sides of the Irish border or indeed across the UK. If tracking goods in the UK is that effective, how come they have not stopped stolen goods from being tracked. This is all pure naïve nonsense and needs to be challenged before we end up with a free for all in the UK, where our Government has no influence on the rules and yet the goods can just flow in via Northern Ireland.

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About ianchisnall

I am passionate about the need for public policies to be made accessible to everyone, especially those who want to improve the wellbeing of their communities. I am particularly interested in issues related to crime and policing as well as health services and strategic planning.
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