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Brexit border backstop should not be binned, SDLP chief tells PM
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has asked Theresa May to promise the people of Northern Ireland that the backstop will not be binned.
In a letter to the Prime Minister following the defeat of her Brexit deal in Parliament, he asked that the Government pledges to "not renege on the implementation of the backstop".
"Following (the) rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement, I am writing to reiterate our strong view that the backstop mechanism must be upheld to protect the interests of the people of Northern Ireland," Mr Eastwood wrote.
The SDLP leader told Mrs May that in June 2016 the local electorate expressed their "clear wish" to remain in the EU.
"Since that time, their voice has either been misrepresented on the benches of Westminster or ignored altogether," he added.
"The majority of people here, including business leaders, the agri-food sector and border communities, are agreed that short of no Brexit at all, the backstop is vital in protecting our interests here. This voice cannot be ignored.
"Despite deadlock in Westminster, the fact remains that there is no way to avoid a hard border in Ireland if Northern Ireland leaves the customs union and single market. That is why a backstop is essential."
Belfast Telegraph
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