Minister says little on protocol

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose! This quotation from Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr seems to sum up an eventful summer. In Northern Ireland the more that changes the more it remains the same.

I have read the secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris’s opinion piece (‘My priority is to see Stormont returned as soon as possible,’ September 27) with interest. Sadly I could find little of substance regarding Northern Ireland politics’ elephant in the room — the protocol.

There is no guidance as to when and how this issue, which alone is preventing the formation of a local executive, is to be taken to resolution. Only the prospect of a December election is evidenced amongst his thoughts.

This looks increasingly inevitable unless the secretary of state is privy to information which is not apparent to the rest of us. It is more than a pity that he has been unable to be as specific regarding when the protocol will be consigned to history, as he is about indicating an early date when he will call another election.

DUP and TUV have remained true to the pledges made to the electorate before the last assembly election. There is neither likelihood nor potential for them to resile from this principled position. The pledge given to their electors is the ‘justification’ (not merely an ‘excuse’) for remaining outwith the ‘executive’ until the protocol roadblock is removed.

I fear that the secretary of state will prove to be gravely mistaken if he believes that the EU can be persuaded, through further protracting negotiation, to agree to the restoration of the UK single market. Even if they were minded to make such a concession the EU never agree anything until one minute to midnight. The people of Northern Ireland have waited too long already.

Nationalist politicians that wish to restore Stormont could play a part if they brought themselves to recognise that there will be no assembly whilst the protocol continues to operate. This may be a step too far for most of them.

Much has been made of the recent census results. These come as no surprise. Such a development during the 2020s was something I recall discussing with colleagues in the 1970s. The challenge for unionism is clearly and confidently to articulate the case for the Union.

It offers very substantial benefits for the whole community. However it will always remain materially more difficult to present the merits of a second class citizenship where people in Northern Ireland are kept in subjugation to laws made by an external entity which override British legislation, and remain unable to freely trade with their fellows citizens on the mainland.

Jeremy Burchill,

Yorkshire