Hopes of breaking Stormont stalemate over Brexit diminish
HOPES that Boris Johnson could help break the stalemate in Northern
Ireland over the Brexit protocol have diminished after a series of talks between the country’s political leaders.
The Prime Minister met with Sinn Fein, the DUP, the Ulster Unionists, the Alliance Party and the SDLP yesterday in a bid to prompt the formation of a power-sharing executive in Stormont.
However, there appears to have been little progress made during the discussions, with Sinn Fein leaders describing the UK Government as “shameful”, while Alliance said the talks had been “frustrating”.
The DUP accused Sinn Fein of “puerile nonsense” and “attacking anybody” who didn’t agree with them, while Sinn Fein said the DUP were holding the country “to ransom”.
Mr Johnson travelled to Hillsborough, County Down, for the discussions and met with the leaders of the five main political parties, hoping to break the deadlock over the forming of a government in Northern Ireland.
He said afterwards, during a visit to a factory in Belfast, that all political parties wanted the protocol to be reformed in some way.
The Prime Minister said: “We don’t want to scrap it. But we think it can be fixed. And actually five of the five parties I talked to today also think it needs reform.”
When it was suggested that threatening to tear up the protocol in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis could deepen trade issues and the impact on consumers, Mr Johnson said: “What we’re doing is sticking up for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and what we’re doing is trying to protect and preserve the government of Northern Ireland.
“And, yes, you’re right. There’s a costof-living issue, but that’s certainly not being helped by extra barriers to trade, extra burdens on business that are being caused by the protocol.
“And it certainly won’t be helped if we have a situation where the Executive isn’t up and running in Northern Ireland.
“You need the Executive, you need the Assembly, and that is what the people of Northern Ireland want us as politicians to focus on.”
The protocol was agreed with the EU after Brexit. However the DUP has insisted it wants it removed entirely as it impedes trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, arguing it puts businesses at a disadvantage and
adds a border within the UK rather than with the Republic of Ireland.
The DUP has refused to join a power-sharing executive with Sinn
Fein, who won the largest number of seats at the last election, unless the postbrexit trading arrangement is scrapped.
However, Sinn Fein’s leader,
Michelle O’neill, said the protocol was “here to stay” and accused the
DUP of holding the country to ransom with its demands.
Speaking to journalists after the talks, Mary Lou Mcdonald, Sinn Fein’s president, said Mr Johnson had provided little information.
She said: “I’m sorry to report that we’ve had no straight answers really from the British Prime Minister except
a confirmation of what we already knew, which is that in fact this impasse is entirely co-ordinated between themselves and the DUP, and if the DUP are acting shamefully in holding back government, well then the British Government is behaving even more shamefully.
Maros Sefcovic, the EU’S Brexit negotiator, said last week that Brussels would never back down on its refusal to overhaul the trading arrangement, while Michael Martin, the Irish Taoiseach, said yesterday the only way to make progress was for “substantive” talks between the EU and UK.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the DUP, said there needed to be swift action from the UK Government in order for
him to consider forming a government in Stormont. He said: “We’ve waited a long time to see the Government bring forward proposals that represent action to deal with the problems caused by the Irish Sea border.”
Liz Truss, the UK Foreign Secretary, is expected to make a statement today on the possible tabling of domestic legislation that could pave the way for the UK to amend the protocol.
Asked if this was enough, Sir Jeffrey said: “The tabling of legislation is words. What I need is decisive action. And that means I want to see the government enacting legislation that will bring the solution that we need. But let’s see what the Government are prepared to do.”
We don’t want to scrap it. But we think it can be fixed