UK must drop ideological approach and review new proposals on NI Protocol in good faith

Responding to the announcement that the EU will bring forward new proposals on the NI Protocol next week, Claire Hanna, South Belfast MP, who sits on the UK Trade and Business Commission said:

“Only this week Lord Frost revealed that his objection to the NI Protocol is that it is working, that businesses have largely been able to adapt and that a consequence has been growth in trade between North and South.

“To him, increased trade and prosperity for people in Northern Ireland is an undesirable outcome if it comes via trade with the rest of this island and this speaks volumes about the ideological approach that the UK government is taking on the issue.

“I hope they change course and review these new proposals in good faith as after almost 5 years of negotiation and poor decision making by the UK government, the NI protocol is established as the least worst option and people and businesses in Northern Ireland are making it work."

"The Protocol also provides a much needed economic unique selling point for Northern Ireland, being at the hinge of the UK and EU markets. Lord Frost may be anxious to play down the benefit of EU Single Market access, because his deal has stripped that from GB businesses, but that further places his ideology ahead of the interests of Northern Ireland’s businesses and consumers."