Government commits to 'full implementation' of Irish Sea border - after Brussels warning over future UK-EU deal
A threat by the European Union to stall negotiations with the UK government about a new trade deal – unless the Irish Sea border is more tightly enforced – has been described as audacious by Jim Allister.
The TUV leader says the “spineless and obsequious” UK government should stand up to Brussels – and trigger an emergency clause in the post-Brexit Windsor Framework deal to halt the arrangements.
However the government has rejected Mr Allister’s call – saying it remains “committed to the continued and full implementation of the Windsor Framework”.
A spokesperson said the deal “addresses Northern Ireland’s unique and complex circumstances, which safeguards the Good Friday Agreement and restores the smooth flow of trade within the UK”.
Mr Allister was responding to a Financial Times article which reported that Brussels won’t commence detailed discussions about a UK-EU SPS Agreement for the whole UK until its requirements under the Windsor Framework are met.
The TUV leader said: “It beggars belief that the European Union, which has had the audacity to disrespect the territorial integrity of the UK and assume the right to divide our country into two through the imposition of a customs and international SPS border, should now grumble because they say that our spineless and obsequious Government is failing to dot all its ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s as they affect our humiliation.
“The people of Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland businesses have suffered long enough”.
The North Antrim MP added: “Rather than needing tighter enforcement, driving even further trade diversion in direct violation of the Windsor Framework’s own safeguards, what we need is a government that has the boldness to stand up to the EU for the people of the United Kingdom and trigger Article 16. An entity that wishes to affect our humiliation in order to know it can trust us, is not an entity that we can trust.
“Speaking for the part of the UK that has already been subject to the humiliation of disenfranchisement in relation our food and animal (SPS) laws, the solution is not for that humiliation to be extended to the rest of the UK”, he said.