It was UK which agreed to having Irish Sea border checks

Re your editorial (‘In normal politics, London would be backing Edwin Poots in the courts over internal UK checks,’ February 5, see link below).

Why would London back Edwin Poots in suspending the checks at Larne when they themselves proposed, agreed and signed the Withdrawal Agreement including the Northern Ireland Protocol which committed the UK government to carry out those checks?

They enshrined them into domestic and international law by the passing of the EU withdrawal act in the House of Commons, with 80 seat majority and a huge mandate from the British electorate. Their campaign in the general election put the Withdrawal Agreement front and centre and got massive support.

Why, also, would the UK government allow a minister in a devolved region of the UK to unilaterally undermine any international agreement that the UK government signed up to. Surely this would set a precedent for other devolved regions to unilaterally interpret or undermine any other international trade deal or agreement that the UK government has with other countries.

Scotland and Wales could also choose to opt in or out of commitments made by the UK government.

I don t think that that would go down too well.

Trade arrangements and international agreements are devolved to Westminster and while they may not be liked in Northern Ireland, they are UK domestic law. Just as many in Northern Ireland do not like the rise in National Insurance costs, it is a reserved matter for Westminster and UK domestic law.

Mary Russell, Dundalk

Editorial: In normal politics, London would be backing Edwin Poots in the courts over internal UK checks

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