Leo Varadkar’s government will on Friday publish a large parliamentary bill incorporating 16 pieces of legislation, all designed to insulate the country from the deleterious impact of the UK ‘crashing out’ of the bloc.
Ireland is preparing for a no-deal Brexit, due to widespread fears the Irish economy — in particular agriculture, food processing, transport — could face severe disruption, if not outright collapse.
For its part, Whitehall seemingly hopes to use the threat of no-deal damage to other EU member states as a bargaining chip in discussions with Brussels. Putting such pressure on Ireland could resolve the long-running Irish backstop issue, compelling Dublin to soften its stance, and allowing the EU to upgrade the terms of the UK’s Brexit deal in London’s favour.