All going well then (Picture: Getty)

Brexit started to get even more messy today, with the prospect of parts of the UK keeping EU regulations while others don’t.

Rumous are swirling that Northern Ireland could remain part of the single market while the rest of the UK leaves.

Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones and Sadiq Khan have called for Scotland, Wales and London to be offered the same deal if it happens.

Brexit talks have been unable to move forward without progress on what the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will look like.


Today, European Council President Donald Tusk seemed very happy about progress on the issue, tweeting: ‘Tell me why I like Mondays!’

Tell me why I like Mondays! Encouraged after my phone call with Taoiseach @campaignforleo on progress on #Brexit issue of Ireland. Getting closer to sufficient progress at December #EUCO. — Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) December 4, 2017

If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market (which is the right solution for Northern Ireland) there is surely no good practical reason why others can’t. — Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 4, 2017

We don’t know exactly what he and the Irish Taoiseach talked about – but it is likely to mean a special deal where Northern Ireland stays aligned with EU regulations.



It would be extremely controversial if so, with DUP leader Arlene Foster saying: ‘We will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the United Kingdom.’

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We will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/uCBVdfVQTJ — Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) December 4, 2017

A spokesman for Theresa May previously denied this was being considered, saying: ‘The prime minister has been clear that the UK is leaving the European Union as a whole and the territorial and economic integrity of the United Kingdom will be protected.’

But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today: ‘If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market (which is the right solution for Northern Ireland) there is surely no good practical reason why others can’t.’

We cannot allow different parts of the UK to be more favourably treated than others. If one part of the UK is granted continued participation in the Single Market & Customs Union, then we fully expect to be made the same offer. — Carwyn Jones (@fmwales) December 4, 2017

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said: ‘If one part of the UK is granted continued participation in the Single Market & Customs Union, then we fully expect to be made the same offer.’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined in, saying: ‘Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that it’s possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market and customs union after Brexit.

‘Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs.’

It could all get quite messy:

The areas in YELLOW voted to REMAIN in the European Union so will continue to TRADE FREELY within the EU. There will be a HARD BORDER between the YELLOW and BLUE areas, who voted to LEAVE. The RED LINES represent a SERIES OF ELABORATE ZIPWIRES to transport PEOPLE and GOODS. pic.twitter.com/VS5ylmrXCD — James (@jrawson) December 4, 2017

Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that it's possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market & customs union after Brexit. Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs. — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) December 4, 2017

Donald Tusk has made clear that he would not move on to trade talks with the UK until there was progress on the Irish border and the Brexit ‘divorce settlement’.

There has been no agreement on the Brexit ‘divorce deal’ in talks in Brussels, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said this afternoon, but he is confident of reaching an agreement soon.

Both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain part of the EU in the referendum which was held in June 2016.

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Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Coveney said the Dublin government’s concerns over the post-Brexit border were set to be addressed fully.

He added: ‘The indications we have is that we are in a much better place now than we have been in the negotiations to date.

‘I hope we are in a place this evening where Irish people north and south will get reassurance from the wording that is very close to being finalised now.’

The EU won’t move forward on talks without progress on the Irish border issue (Picture: PA)

Mr Coveney told RTE Radio One he believed that the post-Brexit border will be ‘invisible’ with ‘no barriers’ and ‘will look very much like it looks today’.

Lord Trimble, former leader of the Ulster Unionists and ex-Northern Ireland first minister, said he was left ‘shocked’ and ‘scratching his head’ at reports of a deal allowing continued regulatory alignment across the border.

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He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: ‘We need to see the detail of this. I think it’s a thoroughly bad idea. If this operates purely on a Northern Ireland basis, it’s going to put Northern Ireland businesses … potentially, at a very significant disadvantage.



‘Because, they would be locked into European regulatory provisions, whereas the rest of the United Kingdom, which is their major market, is free from those, and may have different regulatory provisions entirely.’

Lord Trimble said: ‘I hope that there is still an opportunity for the Prime Minister to claw back from what is being said to the media at the moment.’