New EU terms still mean unacceptable Irish sea border: N.Ireland's DUP

A new EU proposal to operate checks on goods along the Britain-Northern Ireland sea route will still mean an unacceptable border between the two, the deputy leader of the Northern Irish party backing Britain's minority government said on Wednesday.

"So Michel Barnier says he can do different kinds of checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as if that makes it more palatable. The fundamental point is that internal U.K. checks are only needed if it is intended to separate Northern Ireland from Great Britain," the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Nigel Dodds said in a statement.

"Despite the talk of 'improvements' the backstop being insisted upon by the EU... still means a border down the Irish Sea although with different kinds of checks. The fact is that both Theresa May and the Labour Party have said no British Prime Minister could accept such a concept."