Brexiteer SLAMS 'myth' of Irish border chaos as part of anti-Brexit 'blackmail'
OWEN Paterson has blasted the current furore surrounding the Irish border after Brexit as an attempt to create an exaggerated disaster out of a "small problem".
Owen Paterson picks apart Brexit ‘myth’ over Irish border
The former secretary for Northern Ireland hit out at claims that the fate of the Irish border could spark revive old conflicts and trigger a political crisis.
Speaking to BBC's Sunday Politics, Owen Paterson said the talk of a crisis surrounding the situation was a complete "myth" and amounted to "blackmail" from European leaders.
He pointed out that several borders already exist between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and a post-Brexit electronic border was just a matter of will from both sides.
The Tory Brexiteer responded to a report from Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness who urged Britain to stay in the single market for the sake of Ireland.
Mr Paterson was baffled by this request and later branded this "absurd" since only five per cent of Northern Irish trade goes across the border.
The comments came after the Irish Republic's EU commissioner said Dublin could veto Brexit trade talks if a hard border was an option after March 2019.
The Tory MP told the BBC: "There is already an existing border.
"There is a currency border, now a euro-sterling border, there is a VAT border, an income tax border, a corporation tax border.
"No-one has ever said that this has been a problem. This thing is a complete myth. No-one wants a physical border, neither the North or the South.
"Even in the Brexit referendum campaign, we made it clear there are electronic measures existing that can be made to work if there is a will on both sides of the border."
He then took Irish MEP Mrs McGuinness to task over her emergency request for the UK to remain in the single market to ease border tensions.
Mr Paterson blasted the Irish politician, who also serves as Vice-President for the European Parliament, saying: "The idea Northern Ireland's going to be taken out of the single market of the UK where it does 87% of its trade is absurd."
They are going to force and blackmail the UK into giving a special status for Northern Ireland outside the rest of the UK
He explained: "The border has a very small amount of trade. Only five per cent is across the border.
"It is really very irresponsible of politicians to make a statement like that, saying they are going to force and blackmail the UK into giving a special status for Northern Ireland outside the rest of the UK.
"It would be very easy to license the tankers that cross the border every day as authorized economic operators.
"They would be recognised and allowed to pass, and all invoices would be done electronically.
"It really is just a very small problem that can be resolved if there is a will."
