Northern Ireland Protocol casts a shadow over Twelfth celebrations

News Letter editorial on Tuesday July 12 2022:

In his Twelfth morning message, the Orange Order’s Grand Master, the Most Worshipful Brother Edward Stevenson, reminds us that the celebration of the 332nd anniversary of King Wiliam’s victory at the Boyne comes at a time of great uncertainty in Northern Ireland.

Aside from the unique sights of the colourful banners, the sounds of the bands, and thousands of Orangemen and women parading across 18 separate venues today, a shadow is cast over the political landscape - the shadow of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

As Mr Stevenson points out, the post-Brexit agreement has placed the Province deeper into the Irish Republic’s economic orbit while detaching Northern Ireland from Great Britain. The EU gets the final say in some areas of taxation and laws, which threaten to further weaken Northern Ireland’s link with the rest of the United Kingdom.

It is ironic, to say the least, that the Twelfth this year takes place on the eve of the third reading of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill in the House of Commons. This legislation, if passed unamended, will empower Her Majesty’s Government to remove those aspects of the Protocol that threaten UK sovereignty over Northern Ireland.

The Bill proceeds at a turbulent time in British politics as the Conservatives search for a new post-Boris Johnson leader and Prime Minister. But although the Bill will face many challenges at Westminster there are reasons for unionists this Twelfth of July to be cautiously cheerful.

Over the last 72 hours, Tory leadership candidates from different tendencies within that party - Jeremy Hunt, Tom Tugendhat and Suella Braverman - have all stated that the Protocol has to change to ensure Northern Ireland’s place in the UK. That is something to be positive about on this Twelfth of July. It is not, of course, an argument for complacency or investing too much faith in a British Government that helped create the Protocol in the first place. But it does demonstrate that unionist resolve and pressure can still deliver at times.