The first fallacy of Brexit was that leaving the European Union would be a one-off event. It was bound to be an open-ended process. This week’s anniversary of the day of separation coincides with two developments illustrating the perpetual nature of a project that was, in the promise of Boris Johnson’s 2019 election campaign, meant to be “done” four years ago.
On Wednesday the government published proposed changes to Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements. This is the deal that has persuaded the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) to resume power-sharing at Stormont. The core DUP objection to the Brexit settlement has been exceptional customs arrangements for Northern Ireland. These imply a degree of constitutional detachment from the UK that is unacceptable to unionists.
