New Irish Sea border rules on parcels 'highlight how DUP lied to the electorate' says Jim Allister
The introduction of fresh red tape for GB firms sending things to Northern Ireland shows the extent to which the DUP "lied to the electorate" over the Irish Sea border, says TUV leader Jim Allister.
The North Antrim MP said that is a reason why the DUP is now "in decline".
The DUP has been invited to respond but hadn't at time of writing.
The pending changes have been covered in the News Letter before, and concern how packages coming from GB to NI are dealt with.
Basically, from September 30 – five weeks' time – businesses sending parcels from GB to businesses in NI will have to register with the UK Internal Market scheme (also known as the green lane) or else face customs checks (going through the red lane).
The issue was covered in Monday's edition of the Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster.
Speaking on the show, Mr Allister said there are two elements to the story.
One is simply the extra cost burden which the new rules place on businesses.
The other is "the intolerable situation that you have to have customs declarations to trade within your own country".
"The DUP is in decline because the DUP lied to the electorate. The first part of this discussion [setting out the new rules] was an underscoring of that," he said.
"They told us the Irish Sea border was gone. Then they're surprised that the electorate, when they discover they've been lied to, turned on the DUP.
"Of course they did! And so they should.
"Because the fundamental politics is you need to be honest with people. If you're not honest with people you can't expect their support."
The BBC has previously reported that when pressed about whether the DUP had oversold its deal to restore Stormont, Gavin Robinson responded: “Yes, there should have been more cautious realism."
Mr Allister added: "'Over-sold' is a nice way of saying 'we lied to you'."
Earlier this year Luke Barton, a Fermanagh man who trades horses on both sides of the Irish Sea, voiced exasperation at the rigmarole that shipping his animals now entails due to the Irish Sea border.
"If there is horse muck in the trailer or lorry when you come back into NI, they kick up stink,” he said of the port inspectors.
"But if you are going from NI to England and there's muck in the trailer, there is no problem.
"It could be the same muck coming back in, but they have a problem with it."