How Boris Johnson – and Brexit – almost unravelled the Good Friday Agreement

The former prime minister’s reckless suggestion that the Irish border would not be a problem as he sought to ‘get Brexit done’ came close to causing irreparable damage, writes Sean O’Grady

Johnson was deceptive in his dealings with unionists (Getty/The Independent)

Interesting fact as we reach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: there is no actual reference to a “hard border” or “soft border”, or anything like that, to be found in the famous text.

It is certainly a matter of hard political reality, though, that the GFA relies on there being no hard land-border between Ireland (ie the EU) and Northern Ireland (ie the UK). That is why we have a partial trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead.

The border had to go somewhere. If it was to be on the island of Ireland it would be unacceptable to nationalists and republicans, and most unionists.