Sigh, where to start.........
No deal does not automatically mean a hard border in Ireland. Nor does it threaten the so called peace process (someones bluff needs calling on that one).
The border can remain open on the conditions that the Dublin Govt. are responsible for ensuring that a serious problem doesn't develop where illegal immigrants arrive in the Republic of Ireland and then try to enter the UK by heading north to the border.
Also, if any kind of terrorists come across the border and then nip back down south again, the UK will reserve the right to take any security measures needed to protect its people. Job done.
No need to worry about customs, as that border has always been more porous than a sponge and no-one cared, so why make an issue of it now ?
As for the DUP. Most of them aren't religious at all, although their founding father was. Even his son has been known to get blind drunk, although he got pretty concerned when a copper found him and said "I'm gonna tell your Da".
I'm surprised the DUP are said to be so strongly against the possibility of a hard border, as the Republic has been seen by many Loyalists to be an aggressor and an enemy (often with good reason) and would prefer it to be on a different continent.
What they will not stand for (and rightly so), is the notion of a border in the Irish sea, between mainland Britain and the island of Ireland
.
The £40 billion or whatever the figure is, is ludicrous. Its politics again. The politics of uniting the cabinet, by a compromise which doesn't completely suit anyone but will probably bring the remoaners, such as Hammond and Rudd close to being "on message" with the rest of them.
If we need to pay them to access their market. We should be reminding them that they sell a hell of a lot more to use than we sell to them, so they need to make a generous offer to access our market in return.
What we need right now is a clone of Thatcher to appear out of the mist, to scare the bejaysus out of the pygmies in Brussels like she used to.
Or at least a PM in possession of a spine.