Aiken attacks Poots for saying that the much-criticised post-Brexit plan for NI has ‘both pros and cons’

Steve Aiken said he was “surprised and concerned” to hear Mr Poots speaking in positive terms about the government’s plan for Northern Ireland, which has often been criticised as leaving the Province as a “semi-detached” member of the UK.

Speaking on BBC Good Morning Ulster today, DUP MLA Mr Poots acknowledged that there would be “some form of point-of-entry regulation to be adhered to as you arrive at Belfast and Larne” - at least for goods which are destined to go onwards to the EU’s Single Market.

Mr Poots went on to say: “For those goods that have a possibility of moving elsewhere, there will be hopefully a very small degree of checks...

“It has the potential to get right down to around 1% of vehicles, commercial vehicles, that are entering Northern Ireland. And in that case that wouldn’t be particularly damaging to the economy, and we’d have the advantage of actually having access to the single market and to the UK market and make NI an attractive place for inward investment.”

Mr Aiken said: “In spite of platitudes and reassurances from London – including the Prime Minister himself – it is now very clear that the UK Government’s proposals will treat Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the UK.

“This is not least because we will have border posts at our ports and airports, with enhanced infrastructure inspecting goods sent to Northern Ireland from the rest of our own country because Northern Ireland will have to adhere to the regulations of the EU Customs Union.”

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