Lord Empey: London needs to front up to what it is doing on the Irish Sea border rather than playing people for fools

Once again I have questioned the UK government on their plans for export declarations on goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
By Reg Empey
Published 16th Aug 2020, 09:20 BST
Updated 16th Aug 2020, 09:27 BST
The UK government states that ‘we will not require exit summary declarations on those movements’. But Lord Empey says that we know that the UK won`t require them, that is not the point. The European Union willThe UK government states that ‘we will not require exit summary declarations on those movements’. But Lord Empey says that we know that the UK won`t require them, that is not the point. The European Union will
The UK government states that ‘we will not require exit summary declarations on those movements’. But Lord Empey says that we know that the UK won`t require them, that is not the point. The European Union will

Once again I have questioned the UK government on their plans for export declarations on goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

My written parliamentary question has only been given what I consider a ‘half answer’.

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The government states that ‘we will not require exit summary declarations on those movements’. My reply to the government is: of course we know that the UK government ‘won`t require’ them, but that’s not the point! The European Union will.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Brussels is demanding them. The question for the government is what are they going to do about it?

Regrettably this play on words is exactly what we saw before the government, supported by the DUP, agreed to a regulatory border in the Irish Sea on October 2 last year.

It’s more smoke and mirrors. It is time that the government fronts up to what they are doing rather than playing people as if they are fools. It doesn’t wash anymore. They need to make the integrity of the United Kingdom their number one priority in the remaining weeks of the negotiations.

Lord Empey,

Ulster Unionist peer, Westminster

Related topics:LondonNorthern IrelandIrish SeaEuropean UnionDUP