The only way to avoid a border is to keep NI in the CU. If there’s a time limit it’s not a backstop because once it ends there’s nothing in place. If they think they can pull off this new deal of elaborate customs checks at various points using technology then go with the backstop and once we can implement these alternative arrangements the backstop ends anyway.
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I agree DJR...if we lived in a simple world. The concern (whether valid or not) is that the EU will try to find reasons to reject alternative arrangements and keep us in the backstop. As my post above, the EU appear to want a perfect solution ie to replicate the current situation, therefore could keep the UK in the backstop for longer than acceptable by rejecting all proposals (once we’re in the WA we can’t then get out).
We’re talking about monitoring a relatively small ireland and I honestly believe that tech solutions are available which may support a decent system, but if it doesnt deal with 100% of the issues raised by the EU, we’d stay in. I’d say surely if it’s 90-95% perfect that’s better than the alternative