PM May vows no return to hard border with Ireland
British Prime Minister Theresa May told business leaders in Northern Ireland on Tuesday that she is seeking changes to the UK's withdrawal agreement with the European Union, but not the total removal of the Irish border provision that is the most contentious part of the deal.
Seeking to ease fears about the return of customs posts and vehicle checks, May said during a visit to Belfast that the British government is committed to preventing the construction of a physical border between EU member Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland after Britain leaves the European Union.
The prime minister said she was in Belfast "to affirm my commitment to delivering a Brexit that ensures no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland - which is unshakable."
She also emphasized the government's support for the Good Friday agreement, the 1998 treaty that largely ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland known as "the Troubles." May's words of reassurance did little to solve her Brexit border dilemma. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29.
