DUP minister Diane Dodds rejects option which would slash scale of the Irish Sea border

At present, it is only Northern Ireland which has to EU regulations relevant to the EU’s single market for goods and customs union but Diane Dodds rejected the suggestion of the whole UK aligning with the EU in a more limited way to reduce the scale of the new internal UK trade frontier.

Pressed by the SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole on whether she would support a UK veterinary and plant agreement with the EU to remove many of the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks between NI and GB.

The DUP minister, who has long been a committed Brexiteer, dismissed that suggestion because of its implications for the shape of Brexit, even though it would eliminate many of the most onerous checks required between Great Britain and Northern Ireland – as well as the complete ban on certain items, such as British soil, from entering Northern Ireland.

She said it was up to Boris Johnson’s to remove the Irish Sea border – but did not set out how she thought that should be done.

With no sign of the EU or UK even delaying aspects of the new border, Mr O’Toole put it to Mrs Dodds in the Assembly that “one important way in which we could ease the east-west disruption caused by Brexit would be through the signing of an EU-UK agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary goods, specifically a veterinary standards agreement.

“Switzerland has one, as does Norway, and they are both outside the European Union. If the minister is serious about wanting to ease east-west disruption, will she commit, here and now, to calling on the UK Government to sign a veterinary agreement on much closer alignment between the UK and the EU on veterinary standards?”

Mrs Dodds responded: “The member is well aware that the Swiss-type arrangement that he talks about requires the whole of the UK slavishly to follow EU rules in every respect.

“In the European Parliament, I used to hear it said that, if the Swiss wanted to turn right, they had to ask for permission from Brussels.

“As someone who voted for Brexit and believes in the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, I will always want the United Kingdom to act as one. I regret that our Prime Minister imposed the protocol, cheered on by many in this House, to the detriment of Northern Ireland.

“It is now up to the Prime Minister to fix the problem that he created, to take up his duty to United Kingdom citizens in Northern Ireland and remove barriers to trade, particularly for SPS agreements.”

While a UK-EU agreement on food would make the Irish Sea border far less cumbersome, it would make it harder for Boris Johnson to do a trade deal with other countries such as the US. However, even if a US-UK trade deal is achieved, it is not clear how Northern Ireland will benefit from that because many EU rules continue to apply in the Province.

Sam McBride: Northern Ireland is in a breathtakingly undemocratic position which dishonest Boris Johnson knows is indefensible – yet he knowingly chose it

Sam McBride: A curious and dangerous week ends with a first hint of hope for unionists hoping to remove the Irish Sea border

Sam McBride: Read the small print – the Irish Sea border may be impossible to remove, even if MLAs vote it down

British diggers and farm machinery now banned from Northern Ireland without soil-free ‘wash certificate’, due to Irish Sea border

Gardeners snagged by farcical new Irish Sea border rule as British soil is banned from Northern Ireland because of Brexit – and harmful peat is promoted

Sam McBride: Shackled to Brexit, Arlene Foster can’t admit that it has been disastrous for Union – but Irish Sea border is radically reshaping NI

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor