New minister wants to keep Irish border open

Newly appointed British Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire reacts as he arrives in Downing Street in central London on Thursday, as cabinet appointments by new prime minister Theresa May are made on her first full day in office. (AFP)

DUBLIN: Britain does not want to see the return of frontier controls with the Irish Republic after leaving the EU, especially on the land border with Northern Ireland, its new Northern Ireland secretary said on Friday.
The province will have Britain’s only land frontier with the European Union once Britain leaves, and leaders north and south want to ensure that people and goods can continue to cross freely, as well as maintaining decades of open travel and trade across the Irish Sea that predate the countries’ simultaneous accession to the EU in 1973.
James Brokenshire, appointed this week, said he had already been in contact with Dublin.
“We certainly don’t want to see a return to the border of the past, we don’t want to see that hard border coming into place and I think there is a real sense of commitment between the UK and Irish government to maintain the common travel area,” Brokenshire told the Irish national broadcaster RTE. “I recognize the really important benefits that we get from the movement of people, but also goods, services and trade, and what that means for the economy.”
Brokenshire campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU before last month’s referendum, but said it was now important to get the best possible arrangements for Northern Ireland in Britain’s withdrawal.