DUP ‘backed government Brexit bill to protect NI prosperity’

DUP Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP was speaking after the DUP supported the second reading of the UK Internal Market Bill in the Commons on Monday.

“The bill is far from perfect and accordingly we will table our own amendments,” Mr Donaldson said. “However, it does provide a stable foundation as we seek to avoid the irrevocable harm posed to the economic and constitutional integrity of our nation by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“The decision to consent to these arrangements in the first place was a serious error in judgment.

“Without remedy it would leave Northern Ireland in the EU single market regime for a large part of goods and agri-food, without any consent up front, and new customs declarations on trade flows between different parts of the United Kingdom internal market.

“At the time, our MPs, ministers and MLAs warned that the government’s own impact assessment stated this would result in reduced trade, investment and consumer spending. Indeed Nigel Dodds advised that such an agreement would bring danger of causing real problems with the Belfast Agreement, the St Andrews Agreement and political stability in Northern Ireland.

“These were not arguments the Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepted then but which he appears to understand now – as Brussels wields Northern Ireland as leverage and reportedly threatens a food blockade on Northern Ireland.

“Unsurprisingly, those who question the legality of this bill fail to apply the same logic to the Withdrawal Agreement, which violates key principles held in international treaty law, such as the principle of consent provided to the people of Northern Ireland. For these voices, the demolition of the UK internal market and the devastating impact for local households seems to be the price worth paying for remaining aligned to the EU project at all costs.”

He said the DUP is not willing to tolerate such a “reckless” outcome.

“There is still much work to do. We hold concerns around how effectively the UK Internal Markets Bill, if unchanged, could free our Province from the EU state aid straightjacket. There also needs to be greater clarity on how authorities will give ‘special regard’ to the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.”

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