Unionists must resist undemocratic plans to make Northern Ireland the European Union’s first colony

THIS Friday will be a historic and joyous occasion of great celebration and fanfare for the whole of the UK. After three and a half years, we will finally begin to cast aside the shackles of the EU and start the process of taking back control and obtaining our freedom.

Sadly, this jubilant occasion is tinged with sadness, not because we are leaving the power-grabbing, undemocratic, imperialist EU, but because of the deal negotiated by the UK.

It is one of the worst deals in history — something akin to a country’s military defeat and the annexation of its territory by the victor.

No country should agree to pay over £40bn of hard-earned taxpayers’ money, with such unfavourable terms, just to leave an undemocratic institution.

By surrendering to an aggressive EU that always wished to penalise the people for taking the momentous decision, Northern Ireland has been offered up as the price for freedom and independence for the rest of the UK.

Boris Johnson’s Betrayal Act has now received Royal Assent, and Northern Ireland will start to diverge away from the rest of the UK unless we challenge and resist this.

From recent comments, the EU will continue to use Northern Ireland in the next stage of the negotiations on trade as leverage. The border down the Irish Sea is bad enough, but what should be remembered is that after the transition period, this part of the UK will continue in regulatory alignment with the EU.

Under the withdrawal agreement, if the UK fails to get a trade deal with the EU and concludes the transition without one, Northern Ireland will remain under EU control unless we oppose it. We will continue to be a rule-taker without any say. In fact, we will become the first colony of the EU. No unionist will ever accept this.

STEVAN PATTERSON Castlederg