Davis suggests Irish border deal is simply a “statement of intent”

David Davis has suggested that the agreement over the Ireland border was a “statement of intent”, rather than something legally enforceable.

The Brexit Secretary told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that there was still potential for the deals to fall through if no free trade agreement was reached between the two sides.

Joe McHugh, the Irish government’s chief whip, said: “We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the United Kingdom to account, as will the European Union.

“My question to anybody within the British government would be: why would there be an agreement, a set of principled agreements, in order to get to phase two, if they weren’t going to be held up? That just sounds bizarre to me. This, as far as we’re concerned, is a binding agreement, an agreement in principle.”

Government sources are insisting that Davis simply meant that the legal agreement would be conducted separately and much later in the process.

The Prime Minister has also suggested that last week’s deal is not set in stone. In a letter to MPs, Theresa May clarified that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.

Key points in the deal made late last week were concerning the Irish border, rights of EU citizens and money surrounding the Brexit process. 

Simon Coveney, Irish deputy prime minister, highlighted a line in the agreement that read all commitments relating to Ireland would be “upheld in all circumstances, irrespective of the nature of any future agreement between the EU and UK”.

May will address Parliament on Monday, declaring “a new sense of optimism”.

May will say that “this is not about a hard or a soft Brexit” and ensure her consistency throughout the process. Despite this, a senior government official said that May and Davis hope the final deal to be a “soft” Brexit.