Allister: Release of trade data after Stormont vote suggest 'establishment' prepared to do 'whatever it needs to get its way'

The TUV leader was responding to the publication of the NISRA Trade Statistics for 2023 – which suggest that trade which traditionally took place between NI and GB is being diverted to the Republic.

One of the deal’s aims was to avoid trade diversion – and the government has the right to trigger an emergency safeguard to protect the UK market in the event that it occurs.

The North Antrim MP has questioned why the Assembly didn’t wait until the new figures were published before Tuesday’s Stormont vote on whether to continue with the arrangements.

“Having looked at the figures, it is now clear why some people were so keen that the debate took place yesterday, rather than today or later.

“As Dr Esmond Birnie, Senior Economist at Ulster University has pointed out, when one looks at the NI trade data released this morning in the context of data over the last three years of the Protocol it shows that our purchases from the Republic of Ireland grew at twice the rate of those coming in from GB.

“Dr Birnie has said ‘this is highly indicative of trade diversion’”, Mr Allister said.

He says this is of great importance for two reasons. Firstly because it is “recognised as such a serious problem” that the government could ultimately derogate from the treaty.

Secondly, the timing of the vote “suggests an establishment that is prepared to do whatever it needs to do to get its way”.

Mr Allister added: “Not content with silencing unionists by gerrymandering the vote, denying them the protection afforded nationalists for over fifty years (the ban on majority voting on matters of controversy) and without which the motion would not have passed, we also have been subject to the gerrymandering of the facts”.

He also said that the service sector – the part of the economy not impacted by the post-Brexit arrangements which govern the trade in goods – is prospering.