Is a ‘no deal’ Brexit inevitable?

The UK is set to leave the European Union on March 29, yet it appears no closer to an agreement on how to do it. On this episode of The Stream, we discuss three stories about Brexit.

Latest Brexit vote
After Tuesday’s latest vote to amend British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, the UK is no closer to knowing exactly how they will leave the EU. MPs voted to reject a “no deal” Brexit and on Wednesday asked May to renegotiate her plan with the EU. The EU, though, swiftly said it was not willing to re-open talks. So what would be the consequences of leaving the EU without a deal in place?

Supply chain woes
If the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal in place, many are worried about long delays for goods entering the country. Supermarkets, pharmaceutical companies and other businesses are now stockpiling goods to prepare for the worst. How are Britons preparing for a “no deal” Brexit?

Irish border uncertainty
Part of the argument for Brexit was to end open borders. But once the UK leaves the EU, what will happen to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland? Will an alternative to May’s “backstop” – a guarantee that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland – upset the hard-won peace deal enshrined by the Good Friday Agreement? We’ll discuss how continued uncertainty could lead to instability in Northern Ireland.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Laurence Lee @laurielee67
Al Jazeera Correspondent
www.aljazeera.com

Peter Geoghegan @PeterKGeoghegan
Investigations editor, openDemocracy 
petergeoghegan.com

Shaista Aziz @shaistaAziz
Journalist
everydaybigotryproject.com

Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr
Political columnist and writer, The Guardian
theguardian.com
 

Read more:
Theresa May: MPs’ vote not enough to kill threat of no-deal Brexit – Guardian
‘Brexit box’: Britons stockpile foods, medicines – AJE
Northern Ireland bomb is a warning we can’t ignore – Politico.eu