Brexit BREAKTHROUGH: ‘Frustrated’ Northern Ireland farmers demand DUP backs May’s deal

FARMERS in Northern Ireland are overwhelmingly in favour of Theresa May’s Brexit deal - and are rapidly losing patience with the Democratic Unionist Party’s reluctance to back it, Ulster Farmers’ Union President Ivor Ferguson has said.

By Ciaran McGrath, Senior News Reporter

Theresa May

Theresa May meets farmers in Northern Ireland last year (Image: GETTY)

Mrs May is likely to bring her withdrawal agreement back to the House of Commons for a third time this week in a desperate bid to get it ratified by MPs, with support from the 10 DUP members likely to be crucial. With negotiations ongoing, the DUP, which has grave concerns about the backstop insurance policy for the border with the Republic of Ireland, is far from certain to give her their backing. However, Mr Ferguson told the Financial Times: “By far the vast majority of our members support the Prime Minister’s deal.

“We as farmers have bank managers to report to and that’s our main concern.

“I know that politicians get all excited about backstop and stuff but we don’t see any problem with that.

“It keeps a common external tariff which protects us. 

“From that point of view we think we’re doing well with the backstop.”

Northern Ireland

The question of the backstop is central to the DUP's Brexit concerns (Image: GETTY)

The DUP has twice voted against the deal because it says the backstop will result in Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK.

If Mrs May can win their support, analysts believe it could persuade Tory rebels to follow suit.

Denis Corry, a unionist who is managing director of HMG Powder Coatings, an industrial paint maker in Belfast, had no problem with the proposals in their current form.

He said: “From a business perspective May’s deal - for Northern Ireland anyway - is a fabulous deal. 

Arlene Foster Nigel Dodds

DUP leaders Arlene Foster and Nigel Dodds (Image: GETTY)

“We’re going to be a bridge between the EU and the rest of the UK. I see a lot of inward investment.”

As such, it offered “the best of both worlds”, he said.

He stressed he would be contacting the DUP to make his feelings know, adding: “There’ll be a lot of pressure coming from the really big manufacturers.”

The DUP said this weekend there were “still issues to be discussed, while Mrs May has warned failure to get her deal approved would mean Britain would “not leave the EU for many months, if ever”.

Neil Gibson, chief economist with EY accountants in Belfast, said the businesses in the region were implacably opposed to the idea of a no-deal Brexit, adding: “There is definitely a Brexit frustration. 

Brexit: 'No way out' of backstop arrangement says Geoffrey Cox

“Firms are very anxious and very worried about what might happen, particularly in the agrifood sector and smaller firms around the border area.”

DUP peer William Hay said he was aware of the concerns of the business community, without agreeing with their stance.

He said: “There’s different points of view being raised by the business community. They are coming slightly from a different position. 

“It’s the uncertainty more than anything else. We really want to end that uncertainty as far as possible for business.

“We’re very, very supportive of the farming community generally and individual farmers as well.”

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