DUP and Sinn Fein both had options for avoiding our current GB-NI trade problems

A letter from John Cushnahan:
By Letters
Published 7th Feb 2022, 08:00 BST
Updated 7th Feb 2022, 17:43 BST
John Cushnahan gives two distinct occasions when there was an option before the DUP and Sinn Fein to stop Northern Ireland becoming detached from GB, thereby sparing the NI public from ‘the ongoing trading problems’John Cushnahan gives two distinct occasions when there was an option before the DUP and Sinn Fein to stop Northern Ireland becoming detached from GB, thereby sparing the NI public from ‘the ongoing trading problems’
John Cushnahan gives two distinct occasions when there was an option before the DUP and Sinn Fein to stop Northern Ireland becoming detached from GB, thereby sparing the NI public from ‘the ongoing trading problems’

Once again Northern Ireland has been plunged into political crisis and the “Northern Ireland Protocol” is alleged to be the reason for it.

The “blame game” has already started. Sinn Fein blame the DUP, the DUP blame everybody but themselves.

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Both parties are cynically exploiting the situation so that they may deflect blame from themselves as they jockey for position to become the First Minister whenever the Assembly Election takes place.

The truth is that they both are to blame

When Theresa May was Prime Minister, the DUP allied with hard-line Conservative Brexiteers and others to vote down Theresa May’s Withdrawal deal which would actually have prevented a hard border.

Between March and April 2019, there were a number of key votes in the Westminster Parliament that would have kept not only Northern Ireland but the UK as a whole, in the EU Customs Union.

In particular, there were two amendments from former British Chancellor Ken Clarke which were defeated on 28th March 2019 by six votes, and on the 1st April by three votes.

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If the DUP had voted in favour of either of these amendments, although Brexit would still have gone ahead, it would nonetheless have resulted in a situation where the entire UK would have remained in the EU-UK Customs Union and this would have prevented the ongoing Great Britain–Northern Ireland trading problems from ever arising.

Alternatively, even without the DUP changing its voting position, had Sinn Fein – as well as taking their expenses – ended their futile policy of abstentionism and supported the Clarke amendments the exact same positive outcome would also have occurred.

Instead, these two parties betrayed the real interests not only of the people of Northern Ireland but also of the Republic of Ireland by pursuing selfish party-political interests which they are now repeating.

If either had have acted differently, there would never have been a need for a “Northern Ireland Protocol” in the first place.

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I hope the electorate in Northern Ireland remember this when the forthcoming Assembly Election takes place.

John Cushnahan, Former Fine Gael MEP and former Alliance leader, Lisnagry, Co Limerick

For more opinion pieces and letters, click here: www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion

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Related topics:Sinn FeinDUPNorthern IrelandTheresa MayNorthern Ireland Protocol