Backstop 'means to an end' of avoiding hard border: Irish PM

Ireland's prime minister pledged to defend the contentious Brexit "backstop" but said it was important to remember that the insurance mechanism was a means to an end of avoiding the return of a hard customs border on the island of Ireland. The Brexit divorce deal was resoundingly defeated by British lawmakers on Tuesday, with much of the opposition centered on the "backstop" requirement for the British province of Northern Ireland to stay closely aligned to EU rules to eliminate the need for border checks with EU member Ireland. The Irish government joined the European Union's executive in insisting that the divorce deal with the bloc was not open for renegotiation and urged London to come up with solutions that both they and the European Union can accept.