This morning myself and Gordon Lyons represented the Party at a roundtable meeting in Belfast with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly MP and NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris MP.
I was encouraged to hear the Foreign Secretary, who takes the lead for the UK on the NI Protocol, recognise that we need a deal that works for everyone in Northern Ireland.
The NI Protocol was agreed without the support of one single unionist MLA or MP. That was a mistake and it is good that the Foreign Secretary now seems to recognise that the only way forward is a deal that works for everyone.
The Protocol was not, is not and will not be supported by unionists. Whilst some may be focused on short-term fixes, that will not work for the people of Northern Ireland.
The restoration of devolved government is only made sustainable when the Protocol is replaced by arrangements that restore Northern Ireland’s constitutional and economic place within the United Kingdom
It is time Brussels now respects our place in the United Kingdom and respects the concerns of unionists.
Tomorrow we will meet the Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer at Stormont and then later in the afternoon we will meet the Republic’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. I also plan to meet and brief the EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic in due course as well.
We must be on the front foot with our engagement and ensure everyone involved in this process understands our position and the parameters for agreement. In July 2021, I outlined our seven tests for any deal which would replace the NI Protocol. They remain our yardstick for any proposed deal.
Thank you.
