Theresa May calls for the EU to show greater “flexibility.” Speaking in Belfast, the Prime Minister repeated her desire to avoid any hardening of the land border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, while insisting that Northern Ireland must remain in the same customs territory as the rest of the UK. She pledged to protect the Good Friday Agreement “in all its parts,” and acknowledged that the issue of the border was about more than trade. The DUP’s Arlene Foster welcomed Theresa May’s visit, having initially hosted the Prime Minister in Fermanagh. Other parties questioned the motivation behind it: Nichola Mallon of the SDLP said it was “more about reassuring the DUP than reassuring the people of Northern Ireland.”

Michel Barnier cautiously welcomes UK’s White Paper. The EU’s Chief Negotiator said the Chequers plan offers “the way to a constructive discussion,” but added that future arrangements must be “workable.” After agreeing to a ‘backstop’ provision on the Irish border in the event that a future trade relationship between the EU and UK could not prevent a hard border, the two sides are yet to agree on the legal text. Meanwhile, the new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab appears to be returning to other aspects of the Phase One ‘withdrawal’ issues, threatening to withhold the UK’s divorce settlement of around £40 billion unless the EU shows flexibility on customs arrangements and access to the single market. 

Ian Paisley faces suspension from the House of Commons over Sri Lanka dealings. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner ruled that the North Antrim MP had broken parliamentary rules for failing to declare two holidays for his family paid by the Sri Lankan government and subsequently lobbying the UK government on its behalf. In 2014 he wrote a letter to then Prime Minister David Cameron urging him not to support a UN resolution on human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner concluded this to be “paid advocacy,” and recommended the MP be suspended from the Commons for 30 days. Mr Paisley apologised for his actions. A committee will consider the Commissioner’s recommendation on Tuesday; if accepted Mr Paisley could face a by-election if 10% of his constituents in North Antrim sign a recall petition.

Donald Trump’s meeting in Helsinki branded “treasonous” by the former Director of the CIA. In a press conference with Vladimir Putin, President Trump questioned the unanimous assessment of US intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia,” he said. After bipartisan criticism, ranging from mild disapproval to calls for impeachment, the President subsequently claimed that he meant to say “wouldn’t” instead of “would.” Beyond his loyal supporters, his reversal convinced few. Meanwhile, the White House has announced that Vladimir Putin will visit Washington in September. Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence, was informed of the invitation on stage at a security conference: “OK. That’s going to be special.”

Northern Ireland economy shrinks. In the first quarter of 2018 the economy shrank by 0.3%, leading the CBI to warn that the region “looks to be on the brink of recessionary territory.” In addition, the Northern Ireland Composite Economic Index is 1% lower than its level one year ago. Angela McGowan, the CBI’s director for Northern Ireland, said the latest figures were “a stark warning for the Northern Irish economy.” In contrast, the UK economy as a whole grew by 0.2% over the first three months of 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics. Sinn Féin was the only party to issue a press release, blaming “economic stagnation” on the failure of the DUP to “address the fundamental difficulties of low productivity and a low employment rate” when it held Stormont’s main economic portfolio between 2007 and 2017.

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