In his Oped Column Syndication article, John Bruton, the former Prime Minister of Ireland, discusses the implications of Brexit, which inherently creates significant barriers between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). He argues that these barriers will lead to differing standards, trade arrangements, and tariffs, resulting in delays, increased bureaucracy, and potential bankruptcies, regardless of their physical proximity.

Bruton points out that the UK government’s reasons for implementing these controls are twofold: first, to manage immigration from the EU, despite most UK immigration coming from outside the EU and an expected decline in EU immigration; second, to establish independent trade agreements with non-EU countries. He finds this reasoning lacking, as leaving the EU means the UK will lose existing trade agreements with the EU and its partner nations, affecting 70% of its trade. He emphasizes that compensating for these lost agreements will be challenging.

In a scenario without a deal, he references a European Commission document stating that EU member states will be responsible for enforcing EU law regarding the UK as a third country, which includes border checks and necessary authorizations. He warns that if the EU fails to control its borders, it jeopardizes the integrity of the Customs Union and Single Market—an outcome detrimental to Ireland