Steve Aiken: UK weakness was on display in the meeting of Irish Sea border committee

The fact that there is no positive outcome from the meeting of the Joint Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol demonstrates the depth of EU intransigence and the UK government’s weakness.

It is nearly four weeks since the EU unilaterally triggered Article 16 to stop vaccines from entering Northern Ireland, yet there was absolutely no rush to hold a meeting of the committee that was supposed to address the daily problems and disruption to trade caused by the protocol.

Then when the joint committee finally does meet, it offers little in the way of outcomes.

It is disgraceful and makes a total mockery of the structures we have been told by those who advocated the adoption of ‘more’ protocol, will solve the problems.

The EU shattered any illusion on January 29 that they are acting in any other interest than their own. There is no longer a high horse for them to climb up on.

Every day where decisions are not made piles pressure on local businesses in Northern Ireland who are crying out for mitigations and in response the joint committee announces it plans to meet again “before the end of March”. This lackadaisical approach is scandalous.

It is clear the protocol is not working. Solutions have been suggested. While it may have passed Michael Gove by on his way out of the joint committee door, this unequal treaty is doing untold damage, not only to Northern Ireland but the Union as a whole.

Lord Frost has two options, further appeasement, which as we know leads to nowhere, or making a firm stand from the outset to protect the rights of this part of the United Kingdom and the integrity of our Union as a whole.

Steve Aiken MLA, Ulster Unionist Party leader