Protocol latest: DUP leader asks Tory NI Secretary if he 'understands Northern Ireland is in the UK'

Sir Jeffrey made the comments in the House of Commons, as he raised the issue of the Protocol and the Supreme Court judgements during a Q&A session with Chris Heaton-Harris.

Mr Heaton-Harris has been NI Secretary since September – the fifth holder of the post in four years.

Sir Jeffrey told the House: “The Secretary of State listed the support that the Government are giving to Northern Ireland businesses in relation to the operation of the protocol, and mentioned many millions of pounds that are being expended for that purpose.

"However, does the Secretary of State not understand that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, that it should not be for this Government to have to give out millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to help businesses trade within their own country, and that what we really need is not a trader support scheme but the end of barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland?”

Mr Heaton-Harris replied: “I genuinely do understand the point that he makes, and I completely agree with him.

"We need to get to a position through negotiation, or maybe through the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill if negotiation does not work, so he knows that his constituents can receive goods east-west in the way they used to.”

Sir Jeffrey also went on to tell him that the Supreme Court judgement “has brought great clarity to the reality that the protocol has altered Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom”.

It has done this specifically by “subjugating Article 6 of the Act of Union” and by altering “a key principle at the heart of the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement, which is the need for cross-community consent”.

He stressed that “these are the things that need to be addressed in UK law”.

Mr Heaton-Harris responded that “our immediate priority is… getting the Belfast/Good Friday institutions restored”.

He said that the EU “understand that the protocol has caused real problems” regarding trade.

"We are well aware, and he is right: things need to change.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​,” he concluded.”