The UK government has reached a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to restore devolution in Northern Ireland. The deal sees reductions in checks and paperwork on goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which applies to GB goods remaining in NI and involves the maximum flexibility permitted under a previous UK/EU agreement. According to sources, the changes will be accepted by the EU. The DUP has boycotted Stormont’s power-sharing government for two years in protest at post-Brexit trade rules. To end the stand-off, the DUP demanded changes to the way goods are traded between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The government will introduce two pieces of legislation: the first will guarantee Northern Ireland goods can be sold in all circumstances in Great Britain, and the second will confirm Northern Ireland’s place in the UK. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the deal would remove the trade border in the Irish Sea. He said for goods coming from the UK, there will be no more custom declarations, and no physical checks will be made on those goods at Northern Ireland ports. For those bringing goods into NI to sell in NI or for personal consumption, no customs declarations will be needed.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris praised the deal, saying it is the right one for NI and the union. He added that it’s time for politicians to come together and work together, hoping conditions are favourable to see Stormont up and running swiftly. The legislation will be fast-tracked through parliament on Thursday. UUP leader Doug Beattie announced the first meeting of the new assembly will likely be on Saturday, and the first executive meeting is expected on Monday.
Although the deal is not perfect and there is more work to be done, the prime minister has hailed the significant steps taken by the DUP to agree the deal. The main Stormont parties are meeting Irish deputy prime minister Micheál Martin in Belfast on Wednesday. Martin added that the Irish government has no issue with streamlining and ensuring a seamless passage of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Brexit deal, the Windsor Framework, keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods. Consequently, there is no post-Brexit trade border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but it has resulted in the introduction of checks and controls on goods from Great Britain
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