Steve Aiken: No spin about the Brexit trade deal can hide the coming Irish Sea border, which is days away

The announcement by the prime minister and European Commission president of a trade agreement may bring some certainty to businesses in Great Britain, writes STEVE AIKEN.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on Christmas Eve on the agreement of a post-Brexit trade deal. Photo: Paul Grover/Daily Telegraph/PA WirePrime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on Christmas Eve on the agreement of a post-Brexit trade deal. Photo: Paul Grover/Daily Telegraph/PA Wire
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on Christmas Eve on the agreement of a post-Brexit trade deal. Photo: Paul Grover/Daily Telegraph/PA Wire

However for Northern Ireland the benefits bring little to celebrate as we remain under the unequal and massively bureaucratic protocol, with the imposition of an Irish Sea border just days away. No amount of spin from Boris Johnson or those who cleared the path for him, can hide that fact.

With over 2000 pages of text to closely examine it will take time to fully understand if there are any, even wider implications for NI, but no matter what, this deal at the 11th hour should not be spun as a success — in many ways it is the least worst option and possibly the worst of both worlds for Northern Ireland.

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2021 will be a very difficult year and there should be a period of derogation for NI for as long as possible included in the deal.

Steve Aiken MLA, UUP leader

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