In your newspaper on Saturday, Sam McBride was right to highlight challenges that require care and attention. But it would be wrong to suggest the Framework is fundamentally flawed.
Like a majority of people in Northern Ireland, Labour did not advocate leaving the EU. We lost that argument. And we have always been clear that Brexit must never jeopardise Northern Ireland’s place in the UK, nor the Good Friday Agreement which has delivered a peace that few once thought possible.
But everyone recognised that, following Brexit, there was a practical problem. Namely that the UK and the EU would have different standards for products, but an open border between them. That necessitated finding a practical solution.
And the reality is that the Windsor Framework is the only viable option – far better than a No Deal outcome, and a huge improvement on the Northern Ireland Protocol. And it is working.
Matthew Patrick MP
The vast majority of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland move smoothly. Only around one in a 100 lorries sees a full physical check related to Windsor Framework consignments. Goods from Northern Ireland to GB face no checks whatsoever. And Northern Ireland’s economy is today one of the fastest growing of any part of the UK, with the lowest level of unemployment.
Of course, some GB-based businesses and retailers have faced new challenges, particularly smaller traders. That is why we have put in place UK Government funding and support, with a further £16.6m announced at the Budget. The Trader Support Service, far from being a “waste”, plays a vital role in helping businesses to trade. And where there are challenges we are working hard, with business and with politicians in Stormont, to address them.
I understand pet owners, farmers and others will have felt worried when reading about the prospect of veterinary medicines not being available from the start of this year. That’s why we acted, working with vets, farmers and manufacturers, to ensure availability of the medicines they need to look after the animals they care for. To date, no major supply issues have arisen, but we will continue to keep a close eye on it.
This approach, working calmly and creatively, and listening to businesses, experts and Stormont, is yielding results. Scrutiny by the Stormont Committee, far from being “pointless”, is helping to identify issues at an early stage so that we can try to deal with them.
It serves nobody when some paint an inaccurate picture of Northern Ireland’s trade with GB
We are not complacent. But it serves nobody when some paint an inaccurate picture of Northern Ireland’s trade with GB. This only undermines Northern Ireland’s economic potential and its unique access to the UK and EU markets, which is attractive to investors.
Crucially, the Government is now negotiating an SPS agreement with the EU. When this was announced in May last year, it was widely welcomed right across Northern Ireland and, when it takes effect, it will remove checks on food and animal products moving from GB to Northern Ireland. This will bring significant benefits for Northern Ireland business and consumers, as Sam McBride acknowledged. It is, of course, only possible because we are implementing the Windsor Framework.
This Government is taking a wholly different approach to the last one, which at times seemed ideologically wedded to divergence from the EU. We are open to alignment, wherever it serves the UK national interest, as we have already shown in areas including product safety, chemicals regulation and carbon emissions trading.
There were politicians at the time of the Brexit debate who dismissed the potential consequences for Northern Ireland. They touted fantasy solutions that would never have worked. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.
Some politicians advocate implementing something called ‘mutual enforcement’. This is simply not workable. We would never agree to it with any other country. And, let’s be clear, it would risk a hard border – with all that would entail – and would rip up our agreements with the EU.
That is the politics of the past. We want to move forward.
Matthew Patrick MP is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
he Windsor Framework is the only viable option – far better than a No Deal outcome, and a huge improvement on the Northern Ireland Protocol, writes Matthew Patrick MP
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