Critics of UK’s Brexit strategy could pull apart the 1998 Belfast Agreement, says Ulster Unionist leader

Steve Aiken MLA claimed that recent commentary from Dublin, Brussels and Washington was “in danger of pulling the Belfast Agreement apart in the Brexit negotiations”.

“The continuing commentary from Dublin, Brussels and Washington demonstrates either extreme naivety about the Belfast Agreement or else deliberate manipulation to sustain partisan pro-united Ireland positions which will do long term damage to relationships across these islands and particularly within Northern Ireland.

“It`s as if the Belfast Agreement only refers to one community within Northern Ireland and fundamentally ignores the imposition of a border down the Irish Sea – an internal border within a sovereign country.”

Mr Aiken continued: “They disgracefully trample over the legitimate concerns of unionists and are in danger of pulling the Belfast Agreement apart in the Brexit negotiations. Unionists are as entitled to have their rights protected as nationalists.

“The UK government has made some disastrous mistakes such as signing up to the Withdrawal Agreement in the first place, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for all pretence of impartiality to be thrown out the window by those who should know better.

“Some elements within the Dublin Government and political nationalism seem to have lost the run of themselves, delirious on the euphoria of being able to publicly kick ‘the Brits’ on a daily basis with US presidential candidate Joe Biden weighing in behind them with a highly regrettable intervention.

Mr Aiken said: “The irony of the President of the EU talking in her speech last week about EU member states that ‘can always count on Europe’s full solidarity on protecting their legitimate sovereignty rights’ at the same time as ignoring the legitimate rights of the people of Northern Ireland to have unfettered access to the rest of our own country is extraordinary.

“President von der Leyen would be well advised to read the Belfast Agreement especially this part: ‘...the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people...’”

Mr Aiken added: “Does the imposition of an internal Border in the Irish sea, against the express wishes of the people of Northern Ireland meet this criteria?

“It obviously does not and compares hypocritically with her so called support of legitimate sovereign rights. But this skewing and deliberate manipulation of the intent, content and purpose of our peace process by the EU is nothing compared to the contemptible language of Republican Congressman Peter King.

“That such a noted supporter of the IRA believes that he has anything positive to contribute on any issue to do with peace on our islands, is risible.”

Meanwhile, it has again been claimed that Boris Johnson’s Internal Market Bill “jeopardises” the Good Friday Agreement.

Several groups, which include the Human Rights Consortium, Equality Coalition and Unison, have described the actions of the Government as “contravening” international law and “undermining” the provisions of the Protocol in terms relating to the non-diminution of rights and equality protections.

“This nill fetters the ability of our devolved government to continue to take the progressive actions required to protect rights and standards in Northern Ireland, if the UK government disagrees,” the groups said in a joint statement.

“We condemned these actions in the strongest possible terms and demanded that the UK government withdraw the Internal Market Bill and unequivocally commit itself to the European Convention on Human Rights.”

The groups met with government officials last week to share their concerns, and expressed disappointment that ministers did not attend the meeting.

“We have insisted that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland engage with civil society fully. We will be writing to the Secretary of State to demand that he do so as a matter of urgency,” they said.

“The Protocol does not just deal with tariffs and trade, though avoidance of a hard land border is vital.

“Its full implementation is also fundamental to the protection of equality and human rights which form the bedrock of the Good Friday Agreement.

“This is well understood by the Irish Government, European Union and the allies of the peace process in the US Congress who have all expressed their concern at the threat to the Agreement.

“The eyes of the international community are on the UK and civil society will not stand idly by as our peace agreement is undermined by those who are meant to guarantee it.”

A UK government spokesperson said: “The UK Government’s top priority is to protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and gains of the peace process. Our approach is at all times guided by these priorities.”