Leo Varadkar made bizarre claim the UK ‘can’t take back your waters and then expect to take back other people’s sky’ as he urged Theresa May to stand by her cast iron guarantee there will be no border on the island of Ireland
THE IRISH PM sparked fury today after claiming British planes won't be able to fly over Europe without a Brexit deal.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made bizarre suggestion the UK “can’t take back your waters and then expect to take back other people’s sky”.
It came as he urged Theresa May to stand by her cast iron guarantee there will be no border on the island of Ireland.
Speaking after a special Brexit cabinet meeting he said: “If they want their planes to fly over our skies, they would need to take that into account.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
But the comments were blasted as “shameful blackmail” by a Tory MEP.
David Bannerman said: “The most profitable routes for all European airlines are transatlantic routes through British airspace.
“They would be bankrupted if no aviation deal is done. Ryanair and Air Lingus would also be grounded.”
And Henry Newman, director of the Open Europe think tank, echoed the comments, tweeting: “I do worry that some people are in danger of losing the plot.
“There are issues with aviation and Brexit but flyover - the first freedom of air - is guaranteed by IASTA of which Ireland is a signatory.”
And the DUP politician Christopher Stalford said: “Hilarious! Does he actually think anyone with half an ounce of sense or self-respect would be bullied by the likes of this?”
Lord John Taylor, the former UUP MP, tweeted: ““How are the Irish going to continue to emigrate? It is like the scare story that there would be no flights at the time of the millennium!”
Stewart Jackson, the ex-MP and chief of staff to David Davis as Brexit Secretary, added: “The economy of the Irish Republic will be poleaxed by a No Deal.
“Varadkar’s gesture politics needs to change.”
Elsewhere in his speech in County Kerry, Mr Varadkar said a no-deal Brexit would be a "nightmare scenario" and that the UK should honour its commitments to ensure there is no infrastructure at the Irish border.
Asked about the Irish government's plans if the UK crashed out of the EU with no agreement, he told the media that there are plans in place.
And Ireland's premier said his government will have to "change gear" in how it deals with Brexit, and plans to hire 1,000 customs officers and veterinary inspectors at its ports and airports over the next year.
