​Editorial: Voices must be heard on the Irish Sea border and the economic partitioning of the UK

When the assembly voted on whether to keep the Irish Sea trade border in place, cross community consent was cast aside – but there is still an opportunity for people to have their say about the economic partitioning of the UK.

A Stormont vote in December was run on a simple majority basis – meaning that cross-community consent was not required for ​the biggest constitutional change to Northern Ireland’s place in the UK since its formation.

As a consequence of unionist MLAs’ rejection of the arrangements, the government launched the Murphy Review. Led by the former NI Secretary Lord Murphy, it is garnering the views of everyone here on the post-Brexit deal.

The review is inviting those with “insights, experiences, comments or concerns related to the Framework to share their views” to ensure that “a wide range of perspectives” are considered.

It is an opportunity that should not be dismissed as meaningless – rather an opportunity to again highlight the problems the deal is causing economically, politically and constitutionally.

In today’s News Letter, the TUV leader Jim Allister has described the consultation as “an attempt to draw out the poison left” by its decision to press ahead with the protocol without unionist backing. Despite that, his party – and other unionists – will be making their views known.

Business groups will also be representing the views of their members – who are increasingly outspoken about the negative impacts of parts of the arrangements on doing business.

The consultation is only happening because unionist objections were effectively swept aside last December, but it is still a good opportunity to tell the government why the protocol doesn’t work, and why it must go.