Northern Ireland won’t stay in EU single market, vows David Davis

Northern Ireland will not be ‘left behind’ in the EU single market, David Davis has pledged.

After Labour demanded an urgent question in the Commons, the Brexit Secretary added that leaving one part of the UK inside the single market or customs union ‘is emphatically not something the UK Government is considering’.

Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Keir Starmer demanded the Government provide an update on the negotiations to leave the European Union.

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In a blistering take-down, Starmer said: ‘Mr Speaker, what an embarrassment. The last 24-hours have given a new definition of a “coalition of chaos”.

He added that the prospect of divisions in Ireland was ‘too high a price to pay’ for Brexit.

‘Yesterday the rubber hit the road. Fantasy has hit reality’, Starmer blasted, before asking: ‘Will the Prime Minister now rethink her reckless red lines and put options such as a customs union and single market back on the table for negotiation?’

Brexit Minister David Davis responded: ‘I start by apologising for my cough.

Labour Party Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit), Keir Starmer (Picture: Getty)

What you should know about today's Brexit discussion

• Speaker John Bercow granted Labour an urgent question about the progress in the Brexit talks ahead of a major EU negotiations deadline.
• Brexit Secretary David Davis has pledged that no part of the UK will be ‘left behind’ in the EU single market, following speculation that Northern Ireland would be granted access.
• Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Keir Starmer has encouraged the Prime Minister to ‘rethink her reckless red lines’ and consider putting customs union and single market back on the table for Brexit negotiations.
• Nigel Dodds deputy of the DUP, who have been propping up Theresa May’s Government since the snap election, say they will not accept any Brexit deal that ’causes the divergence politically or economically of Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.’

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) David Davis speaking in the House of Commons (Picture: Getty)

‘Negotiations are ongoing as we speak. We held further talks in Brussels and progress has been made.’

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The DUP, the Northern Irish party which props up Prime Minister Theresa May after an embarrassing snap election result, said it would not accept any Brexit deal that saw Northern Ireland diverging either economically or politically from the United Kingdom.

‘We will not allow any settlement to be agreed which causes the divergence politically or economically of Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom,’ Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said.

‘There is now an agreement that the United Kingdom stands together and nothing will happen that will cause the breakup of this great United Kingdom,’ Dodds said.

Davis said Dodds was right and added that the issue of a frictionless border between the UK and Ireland was best dealt with in the next phase of Brexit talks.

Labour have demanded an updated statement on the Brexit negotiations (Picture: PA)