Burrows slams Alliance's 'misguided and disingenuous' claims about dual market access and all-island trade
A claim by the Alliance Party’s economy spokesperson that economic growth is due to “dual market access and all-Island based trade” lacks evidence – and refuses to acknowledge “the real damage caused by the Windsor Framework”, the incoming UUP leader has said.
Jon Burrows says economic success in Northern Ireland is built on a skilled workforce and a “can-do mindset” – not “exaggerated claims” about dual market access.
He says the province’s economic future depends on strengthening east west ties, accusing Alliance of “overhyping uncertain privileges that come at the cost of internal UK unity and friction free trade within our country”.
The Ulster Unionist Party’s leader elect was responding to a claim by the Alliance MLA David Honeyford that “the uncomfortable truth is our economy’s growth is because of” the post-Brexit arrangements. He also said the UUP had “opposed the very decisions that make that possible”.
The Alliance Party did not respond to questions from the News Letter about what evidence its economy spokesperson had for his assertions.
Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland remains tied to EU regulations, harmonising the goods trade across the island of Ireland – but creating a trade border with the rest of the UK. Alliance have supported these arrangements, with Mr Honeyford a particularly vocal supporter of the ‘all-island economy’.
He has also been a strong advocate of so-called dual market access. That idea is based on the fact that Northern Ireland businesses can export to both Great Britain and the European Union. However, trade movements into NI from the rest of the UK are restricted, disrupting supply chains.
In response to Mr Honeyford’s comments, Jon Burrows told the News Letter: “There is much debate about Northern Ireland’s economic success, but I am unequivocal: our prosperity is built on a skilled workforce, a competitive business environment, and a determined, can-do mindset among our people and businesses.
“These are the real drivers of growth, not political arrangements or exaggerated claims about trading privileges. Some seek to diminish the vital role of our local businesses and workers, instead crediting success to politics and the supposed benefits of dual market access. This view is misguided and disingenuous.
“Northern Ireland has a vibrant, resilient economy that is world-leading in FinTech, cybersecurity, and agri-food. While far from perfect, we have strong foundations and the tools to build an even more dynamic future. Claims that our success depends on dual market access or that we would falter without it lack both evidence and self-awareness.
“Officials appearing before the Economy Committee, including from Invest NI and the Department for the Economy, have repeatedly confirmed there is no evidence yet of meaningful job growth or foreign direct investment attributable to dual market access.
“Worse still is the persistent refusal to acknowledge the real damage caused by the Windsor Framework. It entrenches regulatory divergence from Great Britain, imposes bureaucratic burdens, disrupts supply chains, and creates a long term economic obstacle for Northern Ireland. Our largest, most important, and most enduring market is and always will be our own nation, the United Kingdom.
“Our economic future depends on strengthening those unbreakable east west ties, not on overhyping uncertain privileges that come at the cost of internal UK unity and friction free trade within our country.”
Last week, economy minister Caoimhe Archibald faced questions from the DUP’s Jonathan Buckley about how many jobs had been secured through foreign direct investment as a consequence of ‘dual market access’. The Sinn Fein minister said companies make investment decisions based on “a multitude of factors” and some see it as “a competitive advantage”.
Mr Buckley said that Invest NI figures provided to the committee the previous week showed only one job had been created. The DUP MLA also said that most of the economic growth in Northern Ireland was attributable to sectors of the economy – such as services – which are outside the remit of the Windsor Framework.
Last year, unionists seized on comments by Mr Honeyford that Northern Ireland’s car industry is facing “the worst of every world” under the Windsor Framework – branding the outworking of the deal as “a nonsense”.
Car sales representatives told the economy committee in July that cars have to be specifically made for Northern Ireland – and while they can be sold into the Republic, they cannot be sold to the rest of the UK. When told the local consumers could instead buys cars across the border in the Republic, the Alliance MLA commented: “So it’s the worst of every world for you”.
He subsequently said the discussion was about “protecting [the] car industry - which doesn’t have dual market access” – and said his words had been “taken out of context”.