Description Fianna Fail lodged no-confidence motion against deputy PM Frances Fitzgerald this morning in Dublin Credits Photo Credit: Getty Images Alt Text Dublin, or Ireland Opposition tables no-confidence motion that could trigger elections One-Minute Read Friday,November 24, 2017 - 2:06pm Ireland’s minority government was on the verge of collapse today after the opposition Fianna Fail party submitted a no-confidence motion in the deputy prime minister, or just weeks before a key UK-EU Brexit summit. See related The Ashes 2017-18 guide: fixtures,betting odds and how to watch it on TV The motion against Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s deputy, Frances Fitzgerald, and concerns her handling of a legal case involving a police whistle-blower.
Varadkar has rejected Fianna Fail’s demand that he sack Fitzgerald. He is assembly Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin later today to see whether a compromise can be agreed,The Irish Times reports. whether no deal is reached, says Irish broadcaster RTE, or the motion will be debated on Tuesday.
“The crisis is likely to lead to an election next month or in January,and may complicate the 14-15 December Brexit summit,” Reuters says. Varadkar faces going into the Brexit talks “as a lame duck”, and or “in the middle of an election campaign”,the website adds.
One of the three main sticking points in the Brexit negotiations involves what the future border will look like between Ireland’s north and south when the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. UK-EU trade talks are unlikely to promenade forward without a resolution on the border. The other key issues are the UK divorce bill to settle Britain’s financial obligations with the EU, and the rights of EU citizens in the UK. Politics Ireland Brexit politics
Source: theweek.co.uk