‘Boris’ burrow’ tunnel linking Northern Ireland and Scotland set to get the green light
A 25-mile undersea tunnel linking Scotland and Northern Ireland could get the green light next month, it has been reported.
The new connection, informally known as “Boris’ burrow”, could help ease Brexit tensions over trade and boost the UK economy by making it easier for the transportation of goods.
Boris Johnson first backed the idea of connecting Larne in Northern Ireland to Stranraer in Scotland with a bridge when he was foreign secretary in 2018.
But now ministers are said to be considering a 25 mile long tunnel with a road and rail link instead of a bridge.
Alistair Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, has thrown his support behind the tunnel ahead of the release of a study which could start the process of formal consultation.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast, Mr Jack said he preferred a tunnel because “a bridge would be closed for probably 100 days a year with the weather in the Irish Sea”.
He added: “My strong inclination would be that he [the Prime Minister] thinks it should be a tunnel because he and I have had conversations about the weather patterns in the Irish Sea and Beaufort’s Dyke, and there’s a munitions deposit there.”
Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy is expected to publish an interim report within weeks which will say whether a tunnel link is workable, the Telegraph reports.
According to the newspaper, Cabinet Officer Michael Gove is considering an alternate “mutual enforcement” plan which would restore the border to Ireland and require the UK and EU to apply checks at the same level as each other.
The European Commission vice-president, Maros Sefcovic, said on Sunday that his discussions with Mr Gove this week had focused on the implementation of the protocol.
He told RTE’s The Week In Politics: “What we discussed with Michael Gove was very much focused on the implementation of the protocol.
“For us what was a priority is the prosperity of the island of Ireland, unconditional support for peace and, of course, avoiding the hard border.
“These are the three key parameters which have been the primary objective for signing up and negotiating the protocol.
“We are looking into the old possibilities, how to make sure that this would work.”
Mr Sefcovic said the use of trusted trader schemes, simplifying export health certificates and extending the grace period for traders were measures being considered to smooth the implementation of the protocol.
He said there were many “benefits” for Northern Ireland which need to be explored.
He said: “I believe that we found a very unique solution where Northern Ireland is part of the single market, and at the same time off course it is the part of the internet UK market.
“So I think there is the unique possibility for Northern Ireland to develop new jobs, new growth and to have really, a very, very special place in both in single market and also in the internal UK market.”
Mr Sefcovic apologised for the EU’s recent attempt to trigger Article 16 of the protocol to prevent the flow of vaccines into Northern Ireland.
The move has led to Unionist calls for Westminster to now invoke the clause, which would create a border on the island of Ireland.
