The Northern Ireland Protocol is becoming embedded, so this is the year when it must go

Twenty twenty two must be the year to remove the Northern Ireland Protocol, as every day it is becoming more and more embedded, causing billions of pounds damage to the UK’s internal market, damaging people’s rights and the fabric of the whole country.

As we commence 2022 and another year under EU rules, because of the despised protocol and Boris Johnson’s betrayal of all the people of Northern Ireland and the UK, it is time to take stock of the damage done so far. Here are a few reasons why the protocol must go:

• People here have now less rights than our fellow citizens in other parts of the UK.

• The unrestricted movement of plants, animals including pets across the UK has been damaged.

• Treating Northern Ireland as a colony of the European Union Empire must be removed.

• Obtaining medicines has become more difficult and some products are no longer available here.

• Purchasing items from other parts of the UK is getting more expensive, difficult or impossible as many UK companies no longer supply items to Northern Ireland.

• It is clear a reorientation of trade, goods and services is taking place with a moving away from other parts of the UK to the EU and especially the Republic of Ireland.

• The EU wants to protect its internal market and cares little about the people here, we are just collateral damage.

• We must follow EU rules and regulations without any input a clear breach of consent of even the EU’s own rules.

• NI must continue to follow EU rules and if the rest of the country does not, the sea border gets wider and wider. For example recent talk about removing the 5% VAT on heating our homes, it the government was to do this, it cannot apply here as we must follow EU rules and then Northern Ireland would also have a different VAT rate from the rest of the UK.

• It is damaging the Belfast Agreement and its continued implication makes the agreement void.

• It is causing civil unrest, resentment and will I fear will cause more violence on our streets.

• The constitutional position of Northern Ireland and the whole of the UK has been damaged by the government’s decision to suspend the Act of Union which established the country in 1800.

The European court having the final say here, must be removed.

Not one unionist party supports the Protocol, this should be sufficient to have it removed.

Everyone agrees the protocol is not working, it is bad legislation signed at a time the government was weak and under pressure.

The UK joined the EU as one country and must leave it as a single sovereign state, Northern Ireland cannot be left behind.

Stevan Patterson, Castlederg

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