Jim Allister says Sir Keir Starmer's government is 'sabotaging' Brexit as UK-EU deal expected

The TUV leader says that if the UK is effectively taking EU laws under a new deal, it poses the question as to why the country wouldn’t re-join the European Union.

His comments come as the Prime Minister meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in London on Monday. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce a major deal to allow the UK access to a £125 billion EU defence fund, while reports suggest there could also be the creation of a youth mobility scheme and the cutting of red tape on food crossing the Channel – and the Irish Sea.

A deal on SPS – which covers food and animal movements – would have a major impact on the number of checks carried out on goods entering Northern Ireland’s ports from Great Britain, but it is likely that the EU will retain control of entry points.

Mr Allister told the News Letter: “The purpose of Brexit was to take back control and make our own laws. If we embrace a veterinary agreement then we throw this away in relation to legislation pertaining to all food and SPS products, and then arrange for ourselves to be presented with the following question - As you are now taking EU law, if you are interested in having more control, why don’t you rejoin the EU and then you can be involved in making these laws rather than simply taking them?

“In understanding this point though we must appreciate that we are only here because the 2016 referendum - the biggest democratic vote in the history of the country - has never been honoured.

“The question posed was not, should Great Britain leave but should the UK leave. It is because of the practical difficulties arising from only giving Great Britain the opportunity to leave the EU, ‘take back control’ and make its own SPS laws, that we now find a ‘remain’ UK Government seeking to extend this imposition to the whole UK.

“If the referendum, the biggest democratic vote in our history, had been honoured we would not be here. Labour can try to further sabotage Brexit in this way but they will pay a high price at the next General Election.”