Chair of the Irish Senate Brexit Committee - Neale Richmond
The Interview
BBC
4.3 • 537 Ratings
🗓️ 7 August 2019
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ireland is bracing itself for the scariest of Halloween nightmares. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to take the UK out of the EU on October the 31st, come what may. That may mean a no deal Brexit, with potentially damaging economic consequences for the UK, but also for EU nations, most particularly Ireland. Stephen Sackur interviews Neale Richmond, Chair of the Irish Senate’s Brexit Committee. Can Ireland prevent itself becoming the collateral damage in a Brussels London showdown?
(Photo: Neale Richmond)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker. |
| 0:07.0 | Thanks for downloading this edition of the program. I do hope you enjoy it. |
| 0:11.6 | Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker. My guest today is an Irish politician currently preoccupied with a political crisis unfolding in neighbouring |
| 0:23.0 | Britain, namely Brexit. Neil Richmond chairs the Irish Senate's Brexit Committee. He's been a spectator |
| 0:31.3 | as the new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made clear his intent to deliver a British exit from the EU on October the 31st, |
| 0:41.7 | come what may. And right now, there is a very real prospect of Britain leaving without a negotiated deal |
| 0:48.5 | and without transitional arrangements, a prospect which could inflict very real economic damage on both the UK and EU |
| 0:57.4 | member states, most particularly Ireland. And it's the problem of the Irish border, how to handle |
| 1:04.2 | the UK's only land border with the EU that has been the key obstacle to forging a Brexit deal. So, is there any possibility of Ireland |
| 1:13.9 | leading a drive for last-minute compromise? Or is Ireland heading for a calamity, partly of its own |
| 1:22.6 | making? Well, Neil Richmond joins me now on the line from Dublin. Welcome to Hard Talk. |
| 1:29.7 | Thanks for having me on. |
| 1:30.7 | Let's start with Boris Johnson, new Prime Minister. He has changed the dynamic of the Brexit process |
| 1:39.0 | because he says Britain is leaving on October 31st come what may. Well, being quite frank for us in Ireland and |
| 1:47.0 | across the EU, the change of British Prime Minister doesn't actually mean we need to change at all. |
| 1:52.1 | The dynamic hasn't changed. Ultimately, the UK is still intent on leaving the EU as they |
| 1:57.2 | voted through in referendum and we're still intent to allow them leave but to make sure |
| 2:01.0 | that they meet the responsibilities that they have as a departing member. We negotiated a very fair |
| 2:06.2 | withdrawal agreement over 18 torturous month that required serious compromise on both sides and we very |
| 2:11.9 | much see that that is the vehicle to allow the UK leave in a managed fashion. Nothing has changed |
| 2:17.1 | otherwise in any other regard. |
| 2:18.5 | Well, I confess I am very surprised to hear you say nothing has changed because surely in the real |
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