Delight for DUP as attempts to neuter Protocol Bill all defeated

A significant step towards a bill becoming law which would remove “Union-threatening” elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol was taken on Wednesday night.
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The Conservative Party voted down several amendments by the SDLP, Alliance, Labour and pro-EU Tories that would have watered down the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

That legislation, which is still passing through its third stage in the House of Commons, will empower the UK government to override those aspects of the protocol that unionists say are decoupling Northern Ireland economically and constitutionally from the rest of the United Kingdom.

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After the parliamentary majorities of up to 80 shooting down amendments to the bill, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson described the vote in favour of the legislation as “significant”.

The Commons chamber during the Protocol Bill debate. Photo: Parliament TVThe Commons chamber during the Protocol Bill debate. Photo: Parliament TV
The Commons chamber during the Protocol Bill debate. Photo: Parliament TV

Sir Jeffrey said: “It is important for this bill to pass without being neutered by amendments. With significant majorities on every vote so far, it shows a significant body in the House of Commons recognise that negotiations have failed and unilateral action is necessary and the only option.”

On attempts by the SDLP and Alliance MP Stephen Farry to amend the bill in the Commons last night, Sir Jeffrey said: “The amendments tabled by the SDLP and Alliance Party show that both parties have abandoned any interest in consensus politics and are now fully committed to majority rule.

“Devolution needs solid foundations to flourish. Without unionist support, the protocol was harming the foundations of devolution rather than cementing them.”

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Ever since May’s Assembly election, the DUP has refused to enter power-sharing government at Stormont, with the party using its boycott of devolved institutions as leverage to pressurise the UK government to draw up legislation to radically change the protocol.

That legislation was introduced by Foreign Secretary and Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss in Parliament last month.

The core changes to the bill are aimed at restoring Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market and ending the EU’s legal and constitutional influence over the province.

They include:

l Two new border check channels at Northern Irish ports with a ‘green channel’ for those goods sent from GB only staying within NI. Such goods would no longer be subject to the types of checking and paper work under the protocol. There would also be a ‘red channel’ for those goods destined for the Irish Republic and the EU single market. These would have to be checked for EU compliance.

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l The power of the European Court of Justice to have the final say in disputes within NI would be radically diluted.

l NI would be able to avail of tax cuts such as cutting VAT and other emergency state aid without the approval of the EU.

Ahead of the various votes at the committee stage, or third reading, of the bill in the Commons, the new Northern Ireland Secretary Shailesh Vara emphasised that the government is still giving “100% attention” to the legislation.

Mr Vara said: “Yes, the Conservative Party is in the process of electing a new leader but that is not to say that legislation is not continuing, as it rightly does for both Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.”

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He insisted that the legislation was still a “last resort” and the government’s preferred option was to reach a negotiated solution with the EU that would remove the Irish Sea border.

While stressing the UK wants positive negotiations with Brussels, Mr Vara said: “Sadly, however, whilst people are saying they want to engage in dialogue and conversations and this should be a negotiated settlement, sadly when you sit at the table, the response is sometimes ‘well, sorry, but you know, you’ve signed up to this, so we’re going to have to get on with it’.

“So, if that attitude prevails, then I’m afraid the people of Northern Ireland will not see the commonsense approach that I want.”

MPs last night voted 308 to 230, a majority of 78, to reject an SDLP amendment, which had sought to protect the part of the NI Protocol linked to democratic consent.

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The MPs also voted 313 to 231, a majority of 82, to reject a Liberal Democrat amendment which would have sought ministers to set out the legal justification for altering the effect of the NI Protocol on domestic UK law.