Quote Originally Posted by DrPatrickBarry View Post
Single market and customs union, you know the thing the UK want's to leave.
I've already answered that. We can be out of both and trading under WTO rules. Extra border infrastructure could be avoided by using electronic declarations, use of customs brokers and HMRC carrying out customs inspection at company premises. This is perfectly acceptable to the WTO - they have said so.

Your objection was that this didn't get round the issue of smuggling. My question is why is that an issue if it isn't an issue now under current arrangements? Ireland and the UK have different excise rates on a number of things at present so there could be smuggling go on at the moment. Why don't we need a hard border now?

By the way I noticed this article this morning from the Irish Independent, which suggests that some people in Ireland recognise that the backstop goes too far.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/c...-37622042.html