BRITISH truckers could be forced to watch Irish lorries sail through French customs posts while they sit in queues.
A deal has been struck between Dublin and Paris to fast-track its commercial drivers crossing the Channel from Dover through Calais.
France has agreed to facilitate their speedy arrival, as a fellow member of the EU.
The agreement was struck between Irish Foreign minister Simon Coveney and his French opposite number Jean-Yves Le Drian on Wednesday.
Mr Coveney said:“We’ve had quite detailed discussions in terms of differentiating Irish trucks from British trucks. Under the right circumstances Irish trucks will not need to be inspected, whereas UK trucks may need to be inspected.”
But the potential arrangement angered haulage companies, and was seen by Brexiteers as the EU trying to humiliate Britain for Brexit.
Trucker bosses cast doubt on the Franco-Irish plan ever working. Road Haulage Association head Richard Burnett said: “This seems completely impractical to me, and is full of potential flaws. It appears ill-thought through.”
The MP for Dover Charlie Elphicke added: “It beggars belief that the Irish think they can have special access through Dover just because the French say so.”
It also emerged last night that Cabinet ministers fear they may be presented with a fresh “stitch up” Brexit deal quietly thrashed out by No10 and to rubber stamp next week.
A new EU compromise plan emerged last night to end the deadlock over the Irish border backstop.
In a potential win for Theresa May, it would see the whole of the UK enter into a temporary “bare bones” customs union with the EU until a future trade deal is negotiated.
But a potential stumbling block for it, Northern Ireland alone would still have abide by full EU rules and regulations as well – creating a dividing line down the Irish Sea.
Theresa May’s EU advisor Olly Robbins has been quietly working on reworking an agreement with Brussels chief Michel Barnier’s deputy Sabine Weyand in Brussels this week.
Meanwhile, both Downing Street and Mr Barnier yesterday played down reports that a deal on financial services has already been struck. But that didn’t stop the Pound rising by more than 1% on the rumour.
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Nobel peace prize winner Lord Trimble has accused the Irish government of using the Brexit negotiations to undermine the Good Friday Agreement.
The former first minister of Northern Ireland, who won the Nobel prize for his role in the peace process, accused Leo Varadkar’s government of “riding roughshod” over the 1998 agreement.
He claimed that the Brexit process could result in Northern Ireland ending up as part of an “effective EU protectorate”
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The Sun Says
THERE’S an obvious solution if British trucks are made to queue at Calais while Irish ones are waved through. After all, two can play that game.
Our Government can instruct customs chiefs at Dover to prioritise our lorries and keep Irish ones parked up. Not to mention French ones.
It’s high time we began spelling out to the EU the consequences of carrying out the various juvenile threats with which they have bombarded us in the two years since the referendum. We have been too well-mannered too long.
Part of the problem is that our politicians and theirs have talked at cross-purposes.
Ours have been committed to fulfilling the Leave vote and achieving a reasonable, mutually beneficial deal.
Theirs have devoted their energies to issuing blood-curdling menaces and playground jibes, all designed to force Britain to reverse the result.
They have been encouraged to do so by Remoaner politicians who have shamefully conspired with them hoping to engineer a second vote.
The Sun, like all sensible people, wants friendly relations with our EU allies post-Brexit. We increasingly doubt that feeling is mutual.
If the puerile threats from Brussels turn into action, it will get worse.