The British Prime Minister outlined his plan for Brexit today.
Boris Johnson has told the EU that the backstop is a "bridge to nowhere" as he outlined his plans to replace it.
The British Prime Minister has sent his plans to the European Commission saying it would be a failure of statecraft if they can't reach a deal.
He's proposed Northern Ireland keeps all of the EU rules on goods, food and livestock to avoid the need for checks at the border. This would be contingent on the Stormont Executive approving that, and having a vote on whether to stay aligned with the EU or switch to UK rules every four years.
Johnson has also asked for a UK wide customs territory to allow them to do free trade deals elsewhere. He said the single market could be protected while doing this - managing it with technology and electronic paper trails, as well as checks at factories and other points away from the border.
The EU will have to judge whether it's concrete enough to protect the single market and avoid border checks. However, it may be a starting position for more serious negotiations, just two weeks out from the key EU summit.
In his letter to the EU, Boris described the backstop as "a bridge to nowhere" and said a new way forward must be found:
Today I have set out a fair and reasonable compromise for replacing the backstop so we can get Brexit done by 31 October. pic.twitter.com/66WpFGhThU
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 2, 2019
He also stated a rejection of his plan would mean a no-deal Brexit, which would happen on October 31st.
The European Commission says it will "examine [the proposals] objectively".
