What Is A Back Stop?

[Stargazer]

can anyone explain it in simple terms please?

[JimF]

The backstop is a sort of safety net or insurance policy meant to ensure no matter what happens with the rest of the Brexit negotiations, there won’t be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

So, even if the rest of the UK leaves the EU with no trade or security arrangements, there won’t suddenly be border checks and restrictions on the island of Ireland.

At present, goods and services are traded between the two jurisdictions with few restrictions.

As the UK and Ireland are currently part of the EU single market and customs union, products do not need to be inspected for customs and standards, but after Brexit, all that could change.

If the backstop is invoked, it would mean goods coming into Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the UK would need to be checked to see if they meet EU standards.

This would also involve a temporary single customs territory, effectively keeping the whole of the UK in the EU customs union.

[Fairlight]

This is the first time I have fully understood it myself JimF :)

[jadyn]

Jim, I've understood more about the backstop from your answer than through many months of reading the newspaper.
Can I just clarify what you said in the penultimate paragraph: when you talk about "good coming into Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the UK", would it make a difference if the goods entered via air directly from the UK or via Eire by road from the UK? If they did enter via road, would the goods have to be inspected at the Eire entry port as well as the Eire/NI border?

[LadyCG]

Jim's post at 01:39 was rather uncalled for.

[waterboatman]

I agree CG.

[waterboatman]

Jim, would you like to retract it?

[Mamyalynne]

He doesn't have the chance to now, does he?

[ummmm]

FGS - it should have been left there!!

[Zacs-Master]

Anyone take a screenshot?

[LadyCG]

Oh dear, the conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day ...

[Mamyalynne]

That type of action spawns threads that clutter the site on a regular basis.

[LadyCG]

Can a removed answer be put back?

[LadyCG]

It was a bit rude but not completely outrageous like some of the posts on Nailit's charity thread.

Mind you, Jim in all his incarnations is known for being pedantic.

[ummmm]

Yes, by the ED.

[ummmm]

Pedantic or just a feeling of superiority.

[LadyCG]

Well he clearly is superior because I didn't understand the whole backstop thing.

[Zacs-Master]

Thought not.

[LadyCG]

I have to say the 'Let me Google that for you" posts used to make me laugh :-)

[Pete65]

I did not see anything wrong with JimF's post.