国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Irish border remains biggest sticking point in Brexit talks_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Irish border remains biggest sticking point in Brexit talks

The DUP's support is crucial to May's government because under the confidence and supply agreement, the Northern Ireland party provides voices to the Tories to give them an overall majority.

The party has vowed to oppose any new checks on goods passing between the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And the DUP's Brexit spokesman has said the prospect of a no-deal Brexit is "probably inevitable."

The issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will become the UK's border with the EU, is one of the last remaining obstacles to achieving a divorce deal with Brussels.

Wrangling is continuing over the nature of a "backstop" to keep the border open if a wider UK-EU trade arrangement cannot resolve it.

The EU's version, which would see just Northern Ireland remain aligned with Brussels' rules, has been called unacceptable by May and her Democratic Unionist allies.

The Republic of Ireland joined the EU in 1973 at the same time that Northern Ireland did as part of the United Kingdom. Goods, services, and people are able to travel freely between these two countries as they both follow the same restrictions of movement.

As a result of Brexit, Northern Ireland will also be leaving the EU with the rest of the UK. This means that for the first time, the UK will have a land border with the EU in the Republic of Ireland, where different restrictions on movement apply to each side.