Letter: Unionists should make the most of new Intertrade UK body and East-West Council

By Letters

Published 1st Feb 2024, 19:00 BST

This has been a long time coming. Irrespective of issues around the Irish Sea border, it has long been clear that there is still huge scope to grow internal UK trade - trade between NI, England, Scotland and Wales.

A fresh and more positive approach needed new UK government organisations to give focus and direction.

We seem to have that now, in the form of Intertrade UK and the UK East-West Council, new institutions just announced as part of the government's agreement with the DUP.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson mentioned them in the News Letter (Green lane will go: Donaldson, January 31).

He should be congratulated for what he has achieved. The TUV discussed an Intertrade UK organisation in the past, but understandably regard it as no substitute for getting rid of the protocol.

Mike Nesbitt, from the UUP, has also made a powerful argument for such a "bespoke new organisation".

These are early days and we need to study the detail. Nonetheless, I hope that Intertrade UK, but also the new UK East-West Council, will be catalysts for significant growth in internal UK trade.

However, this will only happen if unionists make the most of them.

John Gemmell, Wem, Shropshire