Brexit’s contentious Northern Ireland Protocol “cannot work”, and must be replaced, First Minister Arlene Foster has said.
Writing in Thursday’s Daily Telegraph, Mrs Foster said the Prime Minister had committed to protecting the UK internal market by all legislative means necessary, including triggering Article 16 and that he “must now back up those words with tangible actions”.
The DUP leader is quoted as saying: “The Northern Ireland Protocol has not worked, cannot work and in light of our proposals to the Government, needs to be replaced.”
She warned that simply extending grace periods for businesses could not solve the “wholly disproportionate” checks implemented since the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and that the region’s “political and economic links” to the UK were at risk.
Jeffrey Donaldson said the protocol was damaging the relationship between Britain and Northern Ireland.
He made the comments following crunch talks on the protocol between Northern Ireland’s leaders and the UK and EU.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic held a virtual meeting with First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Wednesday evening.
Mr Donaldson described the trade difficulties as not just short term, but long term.
“That’s why we need not just a short-term fix or tinkering around the edges of this or kicking the can down the road,” he told RTE News.