The full list: From ITV and Amazon to Queen's University Belfast, here are the 22 bosses calling for acceptance of the Windsor Framework and an end to the DUP Stormont boycott
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The message is addressed to the Prime Minister, and begins by saying the signatories are “congratulating the Prime Minister on securing the historic Windsor Framework”.
It also urges all “stakeholders” to “restore devolved government in Northern Ireland as swiftly as possible”.
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Hide AdThe deal – basically a rejigged version of the Protocol, and one which unionists still have deep constitutional concerns about – “represents a huge opportunity for both the Northern Irish and Great British economies”.
The letter reads in full:
"We businesses, representatives on the CBI Presidents’ Committee and the CBI’s Northern Ireland Council, congratulate the Prime Minister and the UK government for achieving the breakthrough in the negotiations with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol, and accomplishing the Windsor Framework.
"Business welcomes the framework as a watershed moment for the UK-EU relationship, and it represents a huge opportunity for both the Northern Irish and Great British economies.
“It is vital that trade flows between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are smooth, and friction for firms is minimised.
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Hide Ad"The Windsor Framework will mean that the Northern Irish economy can maximise the opportunities presented by dual access to the EU and UK markets.
"Due to the breadth and complexity of its scope, businesses are taking time to digest the details.
"However, we are nonetheless united in believing that the Windsor Framework is the most sustainable path forward for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
“With this historic agreement behind us, now is the time for power-sharing to be restored in the Northern Ireland Executive and for political representatives to turn their attention to economic growth and delivering greater prosperity for everyone across Northern Ireland.”
The signatories are:
• Martin Agnew, joint managing director, Henderson Group
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Hide Ad• Ashley Almanza, executive chairman, Allied Universal - International
• Lord Karan Bilimoria, chairman, Cobra Beer
• Declan Billington, CEO, John Thompson & Sons Ltd
• Elaine Birchall, CEO, SHS Group Ltd
• John Boumphrey, country manager, Amazon UK
• Barry Byrne, managing director, Mount Charles
• Phil Clarke, associate director, MCS Group
• Liam Condon, CEO, Johnson Matthey
• Andrew Cosslett, Chair, Kingfisher & ITV
• Brian Donaldson, CEO, Maxol Group
• Paul Drechsler, CBE, chairman, International Chamber of Commerce
• Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens Plc
• Brian Gillan, head of retail & NI, Allied Irish Bank UK
• Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast
• John Harrison, general counsel, Airbus
• Miles Karemacher, general manager, Coca-Cola HBC
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Hide Ad• Brian McBride, president, Confederation of British Industry
• Kevin McNamee, CEO, Denroy Group
• Sir Ivan Menezes, CEO, Diageo plc
• Joanne Molloy, managing director, TS Foods Ltd
• Simon Roberts, CEO, Sainsbury’s.
Meanwhile Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar today seemed to have a different interpretation of how the Stormont Brake would work from the UK government.
This is a clause in the Windsor Framework which would be activated if 30 MLAs had “non-trivial” concerns about a new or amended EU law.
On Thursday, NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the UK government would be “bound” to veto the law automatically if the brake is activated.
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Hide AdHowever, Mr Varadkar said if the brake was activated, then “we will then try to sort out between the EU and UK and that if things can’t be resolved we then go to international binding arbitrations, that’s how we would see it develop, that’s certainly how it’s written down in the legal text that was agreed between the EU and the UK”.