Urgent call to overhaul ‘two-tier’ NI Brexit deal
THE UK could become a “two-tier” country unless the stalemate over the Northern Ireland Protocol is resolved, Britain has insisted in the face of increasing US pressure.
The Government says that unless changes are made, Northern
Ireland will not be able to reap the full benefits of “freeports” – areas near shipping ports or airports where manufacturers can import goods tarifffree. The warning that EU rules mean Northern Ireland is “losing out” come as the US counselled against Britain acting alone on the protocol, saying the row with the EU could undermine the united stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last week Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, accused Britain of wanting to “unilaterally discard” the Northern Ireland Protocol.
And she said Congress would not support a trade deal if it undermined the peace process. But a UK Government source said: “The protocol has created an unacceptable two-tier system in the UK, where people and businesses in Northern Ireland are losing out in comparison to the rest.
“That is why we need to fix it – so that it works for the people of Northern Ireland, while also protecting the EU’S single market.
“But unless we can have genuine negotiations, we have to act to stabilise the situation in NI and bring parity with the rest of the UK.”
Exclusive polling by Techne found that 75 per cent of people said President Joe Biden should “stop interfering in the UK/EU talks”.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss sought to explain Britain’s position yesterday to a delegation from the US Congress. Sarah Elliott, of
Republicans Overseas UK, said Britain should continue to pursue a solution to the problems with the protocol while the US should be “balanced and pragmatic”.
Victoria Hewson, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, played down the chances of a trade war with the EU if the UK acts unilaterally. She said: “The EU is facing cost of living and security challenges, so it seems unlikely member states would wish to embark on measures causing further disruption to economies.”
But Matthew O’toole, an SDLP member of the Stormont Assembly, said: “The Government doesn’t appear to care about the consequences of their actions.”