Hard Brexit activist Darren Grimes mercilessly mocked after accidentally advocating for Free Movement of People

The prominent pro-Brexit activist, Darren Grimes has been mercilessly mocked on social media after inadvertently coming out in support of open borders and the Free Movement of people.

Writing on Twitter, Grimes - who has repeatedly indicated his support for a hard No Deal Brexit, an end to Freedom of Movement and strict controls on immigration - stated during his holiday in Europe that he had "Just crossed the border from Italy into Switzerland", adding that it was:

"not a bother, it’s almost like it doesn’t have to be. Somehow. It’s almost like it’s not beyond the wit of man."

https://twitter.com/darrengrimes_/status/1110181500161609729

Grimes' tweet was, of course, referencing the ongoing row between the UK government and the EU over possible solutions to the Irish border problem.

Both the EU and the UK - in addition to virtually all advocates of a hard Brexit - have consistently stated their desire to uphold the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, which stipulates that no infrastructure should ever be put in place on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

However, in his tweet, Grimes appears to have completely forgotten - or intentionally omitted - the fact that the border between Italy and Switzerland is only "not a bother" because both countries are members of the EU Schengen area.

The Schengen area currently comprises of 26 EU member states in which many border controls have effectively been abolished, meaning that people can move freely between countries without needing to show their passport.

Furthermore, despite not being a member of the EU, Switzerland contributes into the EU budget and accepts ECJ rulings - things supporters of a hard Brexit are also entirely opposed to.

Unsurprisingly, given his previously relentless support for tighter controls on immigration, Grimes' apparent support for the Free Movement of People came in for significant ridicule:

https://twitter.com/Otto_English/status/1110198521070792704

https://twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1110199668896600076

https://twitter.com/biscuitsgod/status/1110184919286902785

https://twitter.com/chriostoir_g/status/1110185262351560704

https://twitter.com/calvert_3/status/1110185383009103872

https://twitter.com/Peatearslater/status/1110190414181662720

https://twitter.com/Markclaret1/status/1110193256132956161

https://twitter.com/WeahsCousin/status/1110195383714672642

https://twitter.com/CelticDragon12/status/1110192857250492416

Furthermore, Grimes has also failed to mention that the probem surrounding the Irish border is not simply a question of people moving freely between the two nations - it's a problem of goods moving between them too.

Whilst Switzerland does accept the free movement of people, it does not accept the free movement of goods - using infrastructure on its borders with EU countries to check goods as they come and go.

https://twitter.com/PSB_HQ/status/1110190981259898881

Hard Brexiteers have consistently argued that infrastructure will not have to be implemented on the Ireland-Northern Ireland border even in the event of a No Deal Brexit or no post-Brexit Customs arrangement being agreed.

However, this suggestion has so far only been based on a hypothetical technological solution - something which has not currently been attempted anywhere in the world.