0:00:03 > 0:00:05As the Brexit clock ticks towards its next deadline,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08is a deal on the border any closer?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11With reports that the ground has now been laid for political agreement,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15why has the DUP warned Theresa May its support shouldn't
0:00:15 > 0:00:16be taken for granted?
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Welcome to The View.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41The DUP warns the Tories not to take their Westminster confidence
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and supply agreement for granted.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46And the former First Minister
0:00:46 > 0:00:53Peter Robinson says the Republic needs to "wind its neck in".
0:00:53 > 0:00:56So where are we tonight on the Brexit talks and the border?
0:00:56 > 0:00:58I'm joined in the studio by the DUP's deputy leader,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Nigel Dodds, and from Dublin by Fine Gael senator
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Neale Richmond.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Also tonight...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Caught in a Twitter storm.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Lord Kilclooney caused uproar online when he called
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Leo Varadkar "the Indian", but insists he has
0:01:07 > 0:01:12nothing to be sorry for.
0:01:12 > 0:01:21Didn't have to apologise. It was a misunderstanding of what I was
0:01:21 > 0:01:21saying.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23And there'll be no misunderstanding
0:01:23 > 0:01:25over what our commentators are saying - hopefully -
0:01:25 > 0:01:27with journalists Alex Kane and Alison Morris both
0:01:27 > 0:01:30on their best behaviour.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31Hello.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Are British and EU officials about to agree on how to avoid
0:01:36 > 0:01:38a hard border here after the UK leaves the European Union?
0:01:38 > 0:01:42The very prospect of it has prompted the DUP to warn that its support
0:01:42 > 0:01:43for Theresa May's minority government shouldn't
0:01:43 > 0:01:45be taken for granted.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47So how close are the two governments to reaching a deal,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and is there any chance it's one that will command
0:01:50 > 0:01:51widespread support?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Let's hear first from our political editor, Mark Devenport,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58who's been following the many twists and turns of this story all day.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00This whole situation revolves around today's report on the front
0:02:00 > 0:02:06page of the Times.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11I think the reason it captured a lot of attention is that it promised a
0:02:11 > 0:02:14breakthrough on what is the outstanding issue at the moment
0:02:14 > 0:02:18which is holding up negotiations between the UK and EU moving from
0:02:18 > 0:02:22phase one, this kind of introductory phase that we are stuck in, two
0:02:22 > 0:02:27phase two, fully fledged talks trading relationships between the UK
0:02:27 > 0:02:33and the EU after Brexit. The Times said the crunch issue could be at
0:02:33 > 0:02:38the point of being resolved. With greater moves to cooperation between
0:02:38 > 0:02:43North and South. We have heard a lot about entrenched in the Good Friday
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Agreement in any deal. British officials were saying they were
0:02:47 > 0:02:51willing to devolve it package of powers to Northern Ireland which
0:02:51 > 0:02:56would allow for Customs convergence in areas such as agriculture and
0:02:56 > 0:03:02energy. Some of that was not surprising in as much as areas of
0:03:02 > 0:03:06agriculture and energy have been talked about for some time, but the
0:03:06 > 0:03:10notion of customs convergence or Northern Ireland staying with an EU
0:03:10 > 0:03:13model in relation to standards as opposed to going with the UK, it
0:03:13 > 0:03:19obviously provoked strong political reaction, particularly from the DUP.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Why is the DUP seemingly so annoyed at what's in that report?
0:03:23 > 0:03:31When you talk about convergence of regulations, Northern Ireland
0:03:31 > 0:03:35following the EU model, the DUP says it is opposed to anything which
0:03:35 > 0:03:40would cause problems with the UK's on internal domestic market is then
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Northern Ireland will be treated differently and might not benefit
0:03:45 > 0:03:48from any opportunities created by Brexit. The DUP campaigned for
0:03:48 > 0:03:56Brexit. That is why we saw that from the DUP. We saw them seeking a
0:03:56 > 0:04:01meeting with conservatives and government officials in London,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05saying if there was any move from the central element, it could have a
0:04:05 > 0:04:10destabilising effect on their confidence and supply deal. Sammy
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Wilson spelt that out when he said they have our faults but if they
0:04:15 > 0:04:20remove -- if they move then it could be different.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22But there's long been an awareness of the need for areas
0:04:22 > 0:04:25like agriculture and energy to be dealt with on an all-island basis.
0:04:25 > 0:04:36Because the aggro food -- agriculture market goes across the
0:04:36 > 0:04:39border, it has been recognised that Brexit could cause serious problems.
0:04:39 > 0:04:46That is referenced but in the UK's paper and in a joint letter which
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Arlene Foster signed together with the late Martin McGuinness on that
0:04:50 > 0:04:55score. Both of those documents pinpointed energy because we have a
0:04:55 > 0:05:00single energy market which operates on an all Ireland basis. Things are
0:05:00 > 0:05:05connected in the North and South in terms of gas and electricity
0:05:05 > 0:05:13supplies. Often. Commence, the joint letter and the British government
0:05:13 > 0:05:17position, they set out that these may be dealt with in a particular
0:05:17 > 0:05:18way.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20This is all predicated on devolving additional powers
0:05:20 > 0:05:23to a Stormont Executive but, of course, there is no such
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Executive at the moment.
0:05:25 > 0:05:33That is one element which gets heads scratching about the Times report.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38One professor said they aren't giving extra functions to an
0:05:38 > 0:05:42assembly that doesn't exist. The UK Government have been resistant,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46there is a battle with Scotland and Wales, about what functions should
0:05:46 > 0:05:52be devolved, with a fifth year in London being that if they disrupt
0:05:52 > 0:05:55their own internal market after Brexit, they will not be able to get
0:05:55 > 0:05:57trade agreements with other countries because standards in one
0:05:57 > 0:06:00part of the UK could be different from others.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02It's not just the DUP that's unhappy with the current state
0:06:02 > 0:06:07of play, of course.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13Whilst the DUP via Sammy Wilson and the meeting in London were firing
0:06:13 > 0:06:23warning shots across the Conservatives, we had in the Dail,
0:06:23 > 0:06:32warning shots to the Irish government. They said they need to
0:06:32 > 0:06:38stick within the customs union and if they go to a more ambiguous talk
0:06:38 > 0:06:41about regulatory convergence or cooperation, they are selling out at
0:06:41 > 0:06:52this stage. There was question Time involving Simon Covey and Mary Lou
0:06:52 > 0:06:54McDonald and she said they have to use the veto.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Timing is key in all of this.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00The big summit is on December 14th in Brussels, but a lot has to happen
0:07:00 > 0:07:03in the next few days.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Yes, it is called a summit, and to use a mountaineering analogy, quite
0:07:08 > 0:07:17often you get share powers -- Sherpas doing some of the listing
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and there is a sense that they have to do their work over the next few
0:07:20 > 0:07:26days. There is a meeting involving Donald Tusk with Leo Varadkar in
0:07:26 > 0:07:34Dublin tomorrow. Theresa May is having dinner with Michel Barnier
0:07:34 > 0:07:42and then Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday. If they can come up with a
0:07:42 > 0:07:46formula they can send out to other EU member states for ratification in
0:07:46 > 0:07:54the summit in mid-December, these few days are crucial.We won't keep
0:07:54 > 0:07:54you any longer.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Thank you, Mark.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I'm joined now in the studio by the DUP deputy leader
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Nigel Dodds and from Dublin, Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Welcome to both of you. Thanks for joining us. Nigel Dodds, let's pick
0:08:09 > 0:08:12up on some things we were discussing. Who did you need from
0:08:12 > 0:08:15the Conservative Party this morning to discuss your concerns about the
0:08:15 > 0:08:21story in The Times?We don't give a running commentary on meetings with
0:08:21 > 0:08:26the government. We have many meetings. We continue to have those
0:08:26 > 0:08:31meetings. Very good meeting this. Obviously the government are very
0:08:31 > 0:08:36clear about where we stand and they know our position. Just as we know
0:08:36 > 0:08:42their position. The fact of the matter is that the UK Government is
0:08:42 > 0:08:47negotiating on the half of all of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51David Davis, and the Prime Minister had already made clear commitments.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57Everybody knows what the issues are. We go forward working with the
0:08:57 > 0:09:03government to deliver a good, sensible Brexit.I am not looking
0:09:03 > 0:09:07for a running commentary on every meeting. I'm looking for a little
0:09:07 > 0:09:11more on the meeting he had today. Presumably someone of your stature
0:09:11 > 0:09:16will be meeting some unlike the Chief Whip Julian Smith or number
0:09:16 > 0:09:22ten Chief of staff Gavin Barwell.We meet people like that regularly and
0:09:22 > 0:09:30we continue to.Was there a special meeting today?We had meetings
0:09:30 > 0:09:34today, Tuesday, at the weekend, Julian Smith was at our party
0:09:34 > 0:09:40conference.Was there a meeting about the story in The Times?No,
0:09:40 > 0:09:48there was not.I'm interested in the meeting today.There was no meeting
0:09:48 > 0:09:52about the Times story today. That is part of a series of regular meetings
0:09:52 > 0:09:56about the exit with senior officials in the British government and their
0:09:56 > 0:10:03political masters. I heard that officials will come to an agreement.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08This will be a political agreement at the end of the day. The Prime
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Minister and Brexit secretary and everyone else involved are very
0:10:10 > 0:10:14clear and they have spelt out that nothing will be done which will
0:10:14 > 0:10:19jeopardise Northern Ireland's constitutional position or in terms
0:10:19 > 0:10:23of damaging their economic position of Northern Ireland. Some of the
0:10:23 > 0:10:28options put forward about creating a border in the Irish Sea in terms of
0:10:28 > 0:10:33customs would be devastating to the economy. Whether you voted to remain
0:10:33 > 0:10:41or leave, unionist or nationalist, we don't want to lose jobs.There
0:10:41 > 0:10:46was no special meeting to discuss the Times story today but obviously
0:10:46 > 0:10:51it was discussed at whatever meeting you did have. Do you think it is
0:10:51 > 0:10:56accurate or not?I don't believe it is accurate because it talks about
0:10:56 > 0:11:00customs union conversion and that is nonsense. It has been ruled out by
0:11:00 > 0:11:04the Prime Minister and everybody who matters in terms of the British
0:11:04 > 0:11:10government. It is not going to happen. For the very good reason it
0:11:10 > 0:11:14is not a political issue, unless you want politics to trump investment
0:11:14 > 0:11:19and jobs. At the end of the day, two thirds of our agriculture and food
0:11:19 > 0:11:27projects, produce is in the UK. 72% of the trade through Belfast port
0:11:27 > 0:11:34goes to the rest of the UK. Direct customs barriers and tariffs or
0:11:34 > 0:11:36create regulatory divergence between Northern Ireland and our main
0:11:36 > 0:11:41markets would be economically catastrophic as well as being
0:11:41 > 0:11:46politically unacceptable. The rules we would have to follow in those
0:11:46 > 0:11:49circumstances would continue to be set by Brussels will stop we would
0:11:49 > 0:11:54be out of the EU and there would be nobody to represent what those rules
0:11:54 > 0:12:01should be.I will bring Neale Richmond in in just a second. I want
0:12:01 > 0:12:05to remind you that the story in The Times today was not the only story
0:12:05 > 0:12:09to be suggesting some kind of customs convergence. In the Daily
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Telegraph, Nick Timothy, who was Theresa May's Joint Chiefs of Staff
0:12:14 > 0:12:22until earlier this year, said about devolving more powers to Ulster and
0:12:22 > 0:12:27the need for more all Ireland governance agreements like the kind
0:12:27 > 0:12:30existing on agriculture and energy, and the need for technical solutions
0:12:30 > 0:12:35about customs checks and tolerating an increase in petty cross border
0:12:35 > 0:12:43smuggling.Nick Timothy is not in the government and he is a
0:12:43 > 0:12:47commentator and writes articles.So he is wrong as well?P offered an
0:12:47 > 0:12:56opinion. He writes his column. The Guardian and BBC Newsnight also
0:12:56 > 0:13:04covered this and neither caught about customs convergence. These are
0:13:04 > 0:13:07the clear issues. Northern Ireland will leave the EU despite what some
0:13:07 > 0:13:12critics may say, because of the national vote. We are leaving with
0:13:12 > 0:13:17the rest of the UK. There will not be any special arrangement for
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Northern Ireland which keeps us within the rules of the customs
0:13:19 > 0:13:23union or the single market because that would be devastating to our
0:13:23 > 0:13:28economy. This is not just a political point. If you talk to
0:13:28 > 0:13:32people involved in the agriculture and food industry, manufacturing,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37people who are advocates for remaining during the referendum, who
0:13:37 > 0:13:42run our ports, they will tell you that once we are leaving we must
0:13:42 > 0:13:47ensure that the guest market we have within the UK continues to be
0:13:47 > 0:13:49accessible to Northern Ireland industry and manufacturing without
0:13:49 > 0:14:02any increased tariffs or barriers are anything of the sort. I have no
0:14:02 > 0:14:08difficulty with the Irish government advocating that because it is in
0:14:08 > 0:14:14their interests and not that of Northern Ireland.Let's get the
0:14:14 > 0:14:23perspective of the Irish Republic.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29First of all, Neale Richmond, I want your response that The Times story
0:14:29 > 0:14:33is inaccurate and Customs convergence is not on the agenda.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37The story is interesting and it is a snippet of the negotiations going on
0:14:37 > 0:14:43in Brussels but one of the points Nigel made, the Irish Government
0:14:43 > 0:14:46haven't been looking for a Customs border down the Irish Sea, we
0:14:46 > 0:14:51haven't been pushing through a united Ireland or four Ireland to
0:14:51 > 0:14:54remain in the customs union outside of the United Kingdom. What the
0:14:54 > 0:14:59Taoiseach said in August was we believe there could be a way forward
0:14:59 > 0:15:03for the UK as a whole. We have no intention of splitting Northern
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Ireland from the rest of the UK and we respect the constitutional
0:15:06 > 0:15:11integrity of the United Kingdom but for the UK to come to a new customs
0:15:11 > 0:15:15arrangement with the European Union as a whole. This isn't a north,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19south discussion, this is an EU, UK discussion and ongoing negotiations
0:15:19 > 0:15:23in Brussels and London and everywhere else are terribly
0:15:23 > 0:15:29important stage. We already missed a deadline last October to get the
0:15:29 > 0:15:31first three issues ahead. We can't push through until we get details
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and we are starting to see detail from the British Government in what
0:15:35 > 0:15:40they see in the post-Brexit deal. What did you make from the response
0:15:40 > 0:15:45from others in the DUP? Peter Robinson, the party leader,
0:15:45 > 0:15:51suggested the Republic should bind its neck in keep its nose out, made
0:15:51 > 0:15:57its own business.That's a reckless statement. This is our business. We
0:15:57 > 0:16:00have a commitment under the Good Friday Agreement but most
0:16:00 > 0:16:04importantly, although I remaining in the EU, we didn't board for Brexit
0:16:04 > 0:16:16by Brexit impacts as. We have a role here, this is our business and we're
0:16:16 > 0:16:20working as positively as possible to make sure the European Union and the
0:16:20 > 0:16:24United Kingdom get significant progress of the summit in December
0:16:24 > 0:16:32so we can move on to face two.What do you make of what Nigel Dodds said
0:16:32 > 0:16:35about the economic disaster it would be in Northern Ireland of the kind
0:16:35 > 0:16:37of Customs convergence suggested in The Times article today and hinted
0:16:37 > 0:16:43at by Nick Timothy in the Daily Telegraph was to come to pass? He
0:16:43 > 0:16:48sees it economic with very different from the way you do.Brexit will be
0:16:48 > 0:16:54an economic disaster one way or the other. A hard Brexit, a soft Brexit,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58any former Brexit will be economic and negative to United Kingdom,
0:16:58 > 0:17:06Northern Ireland and to Ireland.Is not inaccurate to say that he is
0:17:06 > 0:17:10snorting his disagreement with what you've just said, indicating his
0:17:10 > 0:17:14disapproval. Welcome back to it in a second. Why has he got it wrong and
0:17:14 > 0:17:19we have you got it right?I've chosen to look at facts and I've
0:17:19 > 0:17:21looked at the report from the Central Bank of England and the
0:17:21 > 0:17:28reports from every industry body in the UK except for once we got
0:17:28 > 0:17:33involved in the league campaign for whatever reason. Every economic
0:17:33 > 0:17:35expert, people might have had a lot of expense but they play an
0:17:35 > 0:17:39important role and of Nigel wants to deny the facts that's fine, but he
0:17:39 > 0:17:43will have to pick up the pieces and explain to his constituents why
0:17:43 > 0:17:49their incomes are down. However if we let negotiations take their place
0:17:49 > 0:17:54and become too sensible agreement we can limit the impact on Northern
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Ireland, on Ireland as a whole and the European Union and the United
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Kingdom as a whole but we have to work together and using inflammatory
0:18:00 > 0:18:08language does not help.First of all, inflammatory language, we have
0:18:08 > 0:18:10had national politicians, Republicans and people from the
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Irish Republic talking about writing, civil disobedience,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18violence on the border and that should be denounced because it is
0:18:18 > 0:18:25inflammatory.One representative talked about civil disobedience, he
0:18:25 > 0:18:37didn't talk about writing.Chris talked about rioting. Secondly, the
0:18:37 > 0:18:41reality is, in terms of facts, there's no point fighting a
0:18:41 > 0:18:47referendum on Brexit open again. The decision has been taken, Britain and
0:18:47 > 0:18:50the Northern Ireland are leaving. Let's talk about how we move
0:18:50 > 0:18:59forward. He denies that Northern Ireland are leaving. The reality is
0:18:59 > 0:19:05that they did put forward a proposal. Their first option would
0:19:05 > 0:19:10be to keep the United Kingdom in the customs union because it benefits
0:19:10 > 0:19:15trade, that's a legitimate point of view and British politicians
0:19:15 > 0:19:18identify with the difficulties, we would be subject to rules on free
0:19:18 > 0:19:21movement over which we have no control because we would be out of
0:19:21 > 0:19:28the EU so doesn't make any logical sense but the other position
0:19:28 > 0:19:31advanced by the Irish Government since then is if that doesn't
0:19:31 > 0:19:34happen, at least Northern Ireland should stay with the single market
0:19:34 > 0:19:39and Customs union. Leo Varadkar said this in terms, or if we didn't stay
0:19:39 > 0:19:42within it, at least follow the rules. That would be damaging to the
0:19:42 > 0:19:46economy of Northern Ireland because that was separate us from our
0:19:46 > 0:19:53biggest market and our most important market. Neale talks about
0:19:53 > 0:19:57what is for the benefit of everybody. We want co-operation
0:19:57 > 0:20:00north and south and there are areas in which we can cooperate north and
0:20:00 > 0:20:03south but there's got to be a recognition that you've got to
0:20:03 > 0:20:07respect the fact that we need to be able to trade with our biggest
0:20:07 > 0:20:10market. We're not going to be cut off from it and if the Irish
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Republic were really interested in saying, we're not going to do
0:20:14 > 0:20:17anything that separates the public from Northern Ireland, then why is
0:20:17 > 0:20:22it that following the Belfast agreement in 1998, the Republic
0:20:22 > 0:20:30decided to break party over the currency? We now have a border.Lets
0:20:30 > 0:20:36keep it in 2017. There's plenty to talk about today.We're talking
0:20:36 > 0:20:40about convergence. Today, not 20 years ago, there is a currency
0:20:40 > 0:20:45border in Ireland because Neale Richmond's colleagues and people in
0:20:45 > 0:20:53the south decided to break.You accuse Nationalists of stirring
0:20:53 > 0:20:56things and using inappropriate language. Why did Peter Robinson
0:20:56 > 0:21:00suggested a public should wind its neck in today? Why did he say over
0:21:00 > 0:21:02recent weeks, ministers and the public seem to be clambering over
0:21:02 > 0:21:06each other to instil fear in Unionist minds and expressed at
0:21:06 > 0:21:16sleep offensive anti-Brexit rhetoric?I can't speak for Peter
0:21:16 > 0:21:22but he is in very sensible terms spoke about the good cooperation.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28Neale Richmond said the public winging its neck and was reckless.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31When you put forward solutions like Neale Richmond and the Taoiseach and
0:21:31 > 0:21:35all the rest of them are doing, which is not just politically
0:21:35 > 0:21:38damaging to Northern Ireland's relationship with the rest of the
0:21:38 > 0:21:42United Kingdom, which is concrete to the Belfast agreement, it also puts
0:21:42 > 0:21:47four propositions which he must now are devastating to the job
0:21:47 > 0:21:52prospects, investment, employment and prosperity of the food industry,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56of manufacturing in Northern Ireland. That is why it invokes such
0:21:56 > 0:22:00a strong response.That is why unionists, according to Nigel Dodds,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04are so unhappy and maybe the language Nigel Dodds is suggesting
0:22:04 > 0:22:10that some Nationalists have used is inappropriate and has spooked them.
0:22:10 > 0:22:17There's a number of issues I want to pick up. We didn't break currency
0:22:17 > 0:22:21convergence in 1988. It was 10p lower than the British pound for a
0:22:21 > 0:22:27long time prior. We made economic decision as was our right. It was
0:22:27 > 0:22:39nothing to do with Northern Ireland. You diverged from Northern Ireland.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Nigel is trying to rewrite history. He keeps going on about Ireland
0:22:42 > 0:22:46wanting to put in a new Customs union, removing Northern Ireland
0:22:46 > 0:22:52from the United Kingdom and down the IDC. We have said on the record at a
0:22:52 > 0:22:56speech at Queens University in August by the Taoiseach, we see the
0:22:56 > 0:23:02chances of getting to this period by a new customs union between the
0:23:02 > 0:23:05entire United Kingdom and the entire European Union. I don't know what's
0:23:05 > 0:23:08wrong with that language, I think there's an awful lot to work with.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13We're not trying to split Unionists, were trying to work as best as
0:23:13 > 0:23:15possible but ultimately the Brexiteers never set out what their
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Brexit vision was and we are now getting to the stage we have missed
0:23:19 > 0:23:23one deadline and we had only just seeing some details on the United
0:23:23 > 0:23:28Kingdom Government. I have to ask Nigel, where were the DUP in that?
0:23:28 > 0:23:32When you wanted to leave, why didn't you set out what Brexit means? Why
0:23:32 > 0:23:38didn't you set out your vision of Ireland post-Brexit? We are prepared
0:23:38 > 0:23:41to listen and engage.You obviously haven't read the Government paper
0:23:41 > 0:23:47that was published in August.We did read it, there was a lack of detail.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Thing you do know what our position is and our vision is.Is very vague.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59The reality is that Neale is in complete denial about the fact that
0:23:59 > 0:24:02the Taoiseach put forward a proposal with Simon Coveney saying that
0:24:02 > 0:24:09Northern Ireland should stay in the customs union and single market or
0:24:09 > 0:24:12at least follow the rules. That is fact and he seems to be denying it.
0:24:12 > 0:24:19You said this The Times story is wildly inaccurate. If it's not
0:24:19 > 0:24:23accurate, tell me why Sammy Wilson was so quick out of the blocks in
0:24:23 > 0:24:26suggesting the confidence and supply arrangement between the DUP and the
0:24:26 > 0:24:31Tories could be in jeopardy? Why did he apply like that to something
0:24:31 > 0:24:35which isn't even happening?He's just stating the obvious, the
0:24:35 > 0:24:41Government now our position and we know there is. If he wants to see
0:24:41 > 0:24:44the DUP is impudent, he has been proven wrong like he has in many
0:24:44 > 0:24:49other things. The Government knows our position. Sammy was simply
0:24:49 > 0:24:54selling a Mac spelling it out.Would you pull the plug on the deal if you
0:24:54 > 0:25:00thought the Tories were doing something with the EU that didn't
0:25:00 > 0:25:05mean...? Would you risk another election?No, calm down, we're not
0:25:05 > 0:25:10need another election. If any Government decided to inflect
0:25:10 > 0:25:14constitutional damage on the United Kingdom, or decided to see that one
0:25:14 > 0:25:17part of the United Kingdom should have its economy devastated by
0:25:17 > 0:25:22having some kind of difference between itself and its industry,
0:25:22 > 0:25:27it's agriculture and food business, any Government places itself in
0:25:27 > 0:25:30jeopardy by doing that. I'm very confident that the Government will
0:25:30 > 0:25:36not do that and I have every reason to believe...Would you fire the
0:25:36 > 0:25:41nuclear weapons and lose the influence you currently have?You
0:25:41 > 0:25:45are trying to put words into my mouth which are very explosive and
0:25:45 > 0:25:48very reckless and you have chastised me for trying to do that with
0:25:48 > 0:25:53others, so let's not indulge in that.Fit enough. Thank you both
0:25:53 > 0:25:57indeed. -- fair enough.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Donald Trump isn't the only politician to have landed in trouble
0:25:59 > 0:26:00over his Twitter account.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Lord Kilclooney was forced to withdraw a tweet he posted last
0:26:03 > 0:26:06week referring to the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, as the "the Indian".
0:26:06 > 0:26:08The former Ulster Unionist deputy leader has given his first interview
0:26:08 > 0:26:10to The View about the tweet.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13He told us he has no intention of apologising for what he said.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16We also learned this week that the DUP leader, Arlene Foster,
0:26:16 > 0:26:17no longer posts her own tweets.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20So what are the lessons from a stormy week on Twitter?
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Enda McClafferty has been investigating.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Welcome to the world of Twitter, where every second and more
0:26:33 > 0:26:37importantly every word counts will stop say the wrong thing and as you
0:26:37 > 0:26:43can see, there is nowhere to hide. Just ask Lord Kilclooney who has now
0:26:43 > 0:26:49stepped out of Twitter to defend calling the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar,
0:26:49 > 0:26:56"The Indian." Hull you're limited on what you can see on Twitter and in a
0:26:56 > 0:27:00rush, I can remember how to spell the new Prime Minister of Dublin's
0:27:00 > 0:27:05name. It's an Indian name, so I just said the Indian. It wasn't meant to
0:27:05 > 0:27:09be offensive in any way, certainly not racist.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13But that's not how others saw it as to beat after tweet accused him of
0:27:13 > 0:27:18being racist -- Tweet after Tweet. This is what one former Unionist
0:27:18 > 0:27:27leader posted.When I realised the term Indian was upsetting some
0:27:27 > 0:27:31people, and I work hard for the Indian community in London, which
0:27:31 > 0:27:33they didn't realise, I immediately withdrew the statement because I
0:27:33 > 0:27:40didn't want to upset people.So has he now sent a personal Twitter
0:27:40 > 0:27:43message to say sorry?Not in the least, there's no question of
0:27:43 > 0:27:50apologising. It's something that was not racist and something which even
0:27:50 > 0:27:54the leader of the Indian community in Belfast said was not racist. I
0:27:54 > 0:28:00stand over every word of it.Lord Kilclooney is not the first
0:28:00 > 0:28:04high-profile figure to struggle with his character account and making his
0:28:04 > 0:28:10point. Remember this online apology? I've clearly caused some offence by
0:28:10 > 0:28:16what I've said and for that I apologise. I'm hugely proud of the
0:28:16 > 0:28:19officers and staff who go out and serve the public every day. I want
0:28:19 > 0:28:23to encourage and support them. I accept that my comments last night
0:28:23 > 0:28:30when not conveyed that support. For that I am sorry.That folder Twitter
0:28:30 > 0:28:34exchange and the Chief constable told a serving police officer to dry
0:28:34 > 0:28:39your eyes, do the job or move on. And remember this Tweet from Gerry
0:28:39 > 0:28:47Adams? He apologised for using the N word.The Internet never forget so
0:28:47 > 0:28:50it only takes two seconds to screen shot a comment so even after you
0:28:50 > 0:28:54have deleted something on Twitter very quickly, someone will
0:28:54 > 0:28:57inevitably have taken a screenshot and will bylaws of the best advice
0:28:57 > 0:29:00for any politician is if you're starting to get angry, put the phone
0:29:00 > 0:29:06down and have a cup of tea.Or you could take the Arlene Foster
0:29:06 > 0:29:10approach, getting someone else to do the posting, as we learned this week
0:29:10 > 0:29:17after the mix-up with the Princes. But there is a darker side to
0:29:17 > 0:29:23Twitter, with the DUP reader knows all about trolls Rome searching out
0:29:23 > 0:29:30high-profile victims -- trolls roam. I am thankful my mum is not on
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Twitter so she doesn't have to see the levels of heat and abuse at
0:29:34 > 0:29:39times. However, in terms of relation to what Arlene Foster said, the
0:29:39 > 0:29:43younger generation, her children, my stepchildren and others that are on
0:29:43 > 0:29:47those platforms, it can be very difficult to see that type of abuse.
0:29:47 > 0:29:53But whether the Twitter boundaries and who patrols it? It reported, the
0:29:53 > 0:29:58police say they will prosecute and if there is evidence of harassment
0:29:58 > 0:30:02or intimidation but they also one that social media users are
0:30:02 > 0:30:04personally responsible for the content the post and there can be
0:30:04 > 0:30:08both criminal and civil law implications to posting comments
0:30:08 > 0:30:15online. But this expert in cyber security believes Twitter has some
0:30:15 > 0:30:21big questions to answer.How many polls have you taken down and how
0:30:21 > 0:30:24many people have you banned? Give us more transparency and what other
0:30:24 > 0:30:29recommendations from the home affairs committee? They want to see
0:30:29 > 0:30:33more transparency from sites like Twitter.Lord Kilclooney might feel
0:30:33 > 0:30:37he has weathered the Twitter storm, but this may not be the end of the
0:30:37 > 0:30:41matter. He may yet face questions from the House of Lords Commissioner
0:30:41 > 0:30:42for standards.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Enda McClafferty reporting.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46And with me now to reflect on another busy week
0:30:46 > 0:30:48are columnist Alex Kane, and the Irish News correspondent
0:30:48 > 0:30:57Allison Morris, on her first visit to Commentators' Corner.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Let's talk about the EU conversation. So much happening
0:31:01 > 0:31:05today. Nick Timothy, The Times, the Guardian. It has been leading the
0:31:05 > 0:31:12news agendas. What did you make about the encounter between Neale
0:31:12 > 0:31:19Richmond and Nigel Dodds?This is a negotiation and clearly they are
0:31:19 > 0:31:31looking at sort subways to have -- it seems natural that that would be
0:31:31 > 0:31:35a solution. I can see the Irish government have changed their
0:31:35 > 0:31:38language and they're trying to use more moderate language when dealing
0:31:38 > 0:31:44with Unionists but from the Peter Robinson statement you can see it is
0:31:44 > 0:31:50not being reciprocated.Why did he get involved?At the beginning of
0:31:50 > 0:31:55the day, around ten o'clock, Arlene Foster issued a statement to say
0:31:55 > 0:32:00don't worry about it. Sammy Wilson then said if they do this then we
0:32:00 > 0:32:08will walk away. Then Peter Robinson wades in. I think that they're
0:32:08 > 0:32:16worried that the government is going to do something. We are seeing that
0:32:16 > 0:32:21they saw this in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement, they are
0:32:21 > 0:32:32worried.When you listened to Neale RIchmond and Nigel Dodds talking
0:32:32 > 0:32:36about Brexit, one talks about the amazing opportunities that it will
0:32:36 > 0:32:39afford businesses and people in Northern Ireland and the other about
0:32:39 > 0:32:45how it is a step off a cliff edge and will be a disaster for everyone
0:32:45 > 0:32:49in Northern Ireland and potentially the Republic. People will be
0:32:49 > 0:32:55scratching their heads.If they can't get to the second phase
0:32:55 > 0:32:59because they can't get a solution to the border, and no one knows how it
0:32:59 > 0:33:03has come to be placed, whether or not there will be special
0:33:03 > 0:33:06circumstances for Northern Ireland, you can call it what they will
0:33:06 > 0:33:10because they will have to be some kind of special negotiations,
0:33:10 > 0:33:18because we have a land border with EU, the DUP don't want to hear it.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23They're stamping their feet like petulant children. There will have
0:33:23 > 0:33:27to be special circumstances. They might not colic that but it will
0:33:27 > 0:33:31have to happen otherwise it will be a complete economic disaster.Why
0:33:31 > 0:33:35would Nigel Dodds wave the flag to the British government to say just
0:33:35 > 0:33:40watch yourself because we can pull the plug? Why would you threaten
0:33:40 > 0:33:48that?They are worried. There is nothing there. If they force an
0:33:48 > 0:33:53early election, there is no guarantee they will get the same
0:33:53 > 0:33:59parliamentary arithmetic, there will be a very discontented Conservative
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Prime Minister if they win, and that Labour gets in, they have nothing
0:34:04 > 0:34:15there. It is back to the usual. Instead of thinking, they did not
0:34:15 > 0:34:19expect outcome. They should have documents about the impact it will
0:34:19 > 0:34:22have in the UK and Dublin. We haven't got that and they are
0:34:22 > 0:34:28resorting to threats.Are they going to pull the plug at this stage when
0:34:28 > 0:34:34we only have 20 million of the £1 billion allocated?We don't even
0:34:34 > 0:34:37have an executive so why on earth would they give up the power they
0:34:37 > 0:34:42have in Westminster?If it is going to be pulled, the plug will be
0:34:42 > 0:34:43pulled by the Prime Minister.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45That's it from The View for this week.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Join me for Sunday Politics at 11.35 here on BBC One.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51With all the talk of the border today, we cast an eye backwards
0:34:51 > 0:34:54to the Second World War when it was also an issue,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56though in that instance it was a fear of spies that
0:34:56 > 0:34:57saw security heightened.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01For now, though, bye-bye.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Travel facilities between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are
0:35:05 > 0:35:12monitored. The trailers pulled up by military police and Constabulary. --
0:35:12 > 0:35:20the train is. Germany and Japan are no risk factors of neutrality.
0:35:20 > 0:35:27Bracelet -- slipping spies over the border was far too easy. The North
0:35:27 > 0:35:30South border is sealed. Credentials have to be right. Britain and
0:35:30 > 0:35:31America take this step