Alliance ‘can’t have it both ways’ on Irish Sea border after MLA's 'worst of every world' comment

The Alliance Party doesn’t understand the basics of the Irish Sea border issue – and is trying to “have it both ways” on the Windsor Framework, a DUP MLA has said.

Jonathan Buckley says comments from David Honeyford this week that the car industry is facing “the worst of every world” under the post-Brexit deal were a “staggering admission” given Alliance’s support for the arrangements.

placeholder image — Alliance MLA David Honeyford has acknowledged that Northern Ireland’s car industry is facing “the worst of every world” under the Windsor Framework.

The DUP man says the Windsor Framework is Alliance’s version of Brexit and “they own it”.

Lagan Valley MLA Mr Honeyford also branded the consequences of the framework “a nonsense” during evidence from car franchise businesses during a Stormont committee on the latest sea border rules.

Industry representatives told MLAs that car owners will pay more tax and said there would be “very very significant” consequences for the profitability of local companies and for jobs.

Mr Buckley told the News Letter: “Just this week, he admitted in committee that car dealerships were facing ‘the worst of every world’.

“A staggering admission from a man who has, at every stage, defended post-Brexit arrangements from the Withdrawal Agreement to the Protocol, and now the Windsor Framework.

“For a moment, I was optimistic. Was this the first sign that Alliance were beginning to grasp the real-world implications of what they had signed up to? That optimism was short-lived.

“Within 24 hours, Mr Honeyford had taken to social media to criticise the DUP for ‘talking Northern Ireland down’. This, after acknowledging himself the devastating impact on a major local industry.

“Which is it? Either he meant what he said in committee, or he is trying to rewrite it. You cannot have it both ways”.

The Upper Bann MLA said during a key Assembly vote on the deal last year, Alliance voted to hand over more than three hundred areas of law-making to Brussels – despite warnings about the challenges facing car dealerships and small businesses.

He said Mr Honeyford heard those warnings, adding “I can only assume he is either playing fast and loose with people’s livelihoods or he simply does not understand what he voted for”.