Sammy Wilson: A stark illustration of Alliance Party’s supine behaviour towards the EU

I listened in utter amazement at Stephen Farry’s complaint about the UK government interfering with devolution powers during a debate on the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday.

Farry, whose party has supported government intervention on abortion rights in Northern Ireland, complained about the spending powers which the government have secured through the Internal Market Bill.

Ironically, these spending powers enable the government to spend extra money on infrastructure projects and help improve our integration with the rest of the UK. Something, I would imagine, most people would welcome.

At the same time as condemning the government for taking powers to spend money in Northern Ireland, he welcomed the NI Protocol, which allows the EU to make laws on a whole range of matters which are devolved.

These laws will cover up to 60% of economic activity in NI and will interfere with farming practices, labour rights and manufacturing standards, all of which should require democratic input.

The anti-British, pro-EU Alliance Party has abandoned all sense of political reality.

They condemn beneficial spending powers, which of course the UK government will consult Northern Irish MPs and ministers about, yet welcome the imposition of EU laws without any democratic input from politicians in Stormont or London.

Nothing illustrates more starkly the supine behaviour of the Alliance Party when it comes to the EU.

Sammy Wilson, DUP MP, East Antrim

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