Write a commentMEP Martina Anderson last week visited Crossmaglen and speaking in the Cross Square Hotel commented that it is now long past time for the British government to get real in the Brexit negotiations and bring forward credible solutions to avoid a hard border in Ireland.
The MEP along with Megan Fearon MLA and Cllr Terry Hearty, met with a Border Against Brexit spokesperson, local business people and GAA representatives.
Martina and Megan also visited St Josephs Secondary School and had discussions with headmaster Mr Jones and sixth form pupils. Some of the pupils involved in the question and answer session will take part in a Youth Delegation to Brussels.
After leaving Crossmaglen the MEP went onto both Armagh and Newry to complete a tour of the constituency.
Commenting on the ongoing concerns in relation to Brexit the MEP said “Recent comments by President of the European Council Donald Tusk that there will be no Brexit deal and no transition period unless the British government come up with a solution to the border problem need to be heard loud and clear by Theresa May.
“So far the British government have been attempting to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the border issue and the huge difficulties that placing an EU frontier on the island of Ireland would create.
“But we have been making our voices heard in Europe and the EU is well aware of the concerns around the border and it is long past time the British government got real to those concerns.
“It is now up to the British government to bring forward credible and workable proposals to avoid a hard border, something they have singularly failed to do to date.
“There is an option on the table with the backstop which would avoid a hard border. It would allow the north to remain in the customs union and significant elements of the single market and the EU and the Irish government in particular must now ensure that is maintained and upheld and that the British government are not allowed to renege on the commitments it has entered into.”
