Tory candidate hints at some 'Border' concessions

British Home Secretary and newly announced Tory leadership candidate Theresa May has hinted at a scenario where a common travel area could be maintained after the UK forces a Brexit from Europe.

Launching her leadership bid earlier this morning, Ms May was joined by Chris Grayling, leader of the Commons and a significant leave campaigner, who is chairing her campaign for 10 Downing Street.

Ms May told the launch that there already exists a common travel area in Ireland and that the British government would be speaking to the Irish government about this in future.

Its a seemingly marked change from points she made at the height of the Brexit campaign during which she described it as 'inconceivable' that there would not be any change on border arrangements with the Republic of Ireland if the UK effected a way out of the European Union.

However, she did acknowledge that the British-Irish Common Travel Area pre-dated the EU, adding that it was important that peace in Northern Ireland continued no matter what the referendum outcome was.

Following the recent Brexit meeting in Brussels among EU leaders, Taoiseach Enda Kenny claimed he had stressed the importance of protecting both the peace process and the common travel area along the border during discussions.

He also relayed a message from Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon who had asked that her country not be dragged out of the EU against its will.

Meanwhile, today the Taoiseach has told the Oireachtas Finance committee today that major trade barriers will have to exist between Ireland and the United Kingdom, if agreement on Brexit cannot be reached within two years.

In a session dominated by discussion on the Brexit vote in the UK last week, Deputy Kenny strongly rejected claims he has ignored the plight of people in Northern Ireland when he argued on behalf of Scotland at the EU Summit this week.

“I am not representing Scotland, I reject completely that I didn't put Ireland first,” Mr Kenny said in response accusations from Sinn Fein's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty.

Deputy Kenny further warned that if an agreement on how Brexit will be achieved, then trade barriers in line with the World Trade Organisation rules will have to apply.

But he insisted that he did not want to see this happen: “I don't want to see a hard border between Northern Ireland and here, but if we have to deal with that then deal with it we will.”

He added: “My plan is to maintain the common travel area and not to have a hard border. That is my plan but I do not have complete control on this. I do not know the intentions of the next British.”