Unionists divided over EU market access - as Ulster University economist says it comes at the price of the Irish Sea border

Yesterday, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson and Emma Little Pengelly – both DUP party officers who will decide if and when the party returns to Stormont – set out differing views on whether NI could have EU market access. Mr Wilson said full dual access is not possible and is a choice – while Mrs Little Pengelly said the party wants continued EU market access alongside a restored UK internal market.

The UUP has also backed EU market access – saying that Stormont needs to be restored so that its “opportunities” can be be exploited.

A spokesperson said: “Ulster Unionists welcome Northern Ireland’s continued access to the the EU’s Single Market alongside ongoing and essential membership of the UK internal market”. They said: "The EU’s Single Market comprises 23 million companies and 18% of the world’s GDP - 14,522 billion euros. It represents an enormous opportunity for Northern Ireland businesses and for inward investment. It’s essential that the Stormont Executive and Assembly is restored as soon as possible and a cross-cutting Executive strategy established to exploit opportunities across the EU and also work to deepen existing commercial ties with GB.

"The Assembly’s new Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny committee dealing with issues arising from the EU and the Stormont Brake mechanism will be crucial in delivering balance”.

The TUV has repeatedly rejected the idea of EU single market access being compatible with being a full part of the United Kingdom. Jim Allister posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying the issues are “crystallising between those who wish to play down, even ignore, the evident constitutional detriment of implementing the Protocol and our alignment with EU single market and those who recognise the legal and constitutional realities which flow from acquiescing in EU sovereignty over NI trade, commerce and our manufacturing economy”.

Esmond Birnie, a senior economist at Ulster University, has told the News Letter that while it’s understandable that politicians may want to claim we can have our cake and eat it – it comes at the price of an Irish Sea border and the “unravelling” of Northern Ireland’s integrated position in the UK economy.

He said: “Crucially, the ‘price’ of the continued access to the EU Single Market is the border in the Irish Sea”.

The News Letter asked both the Ulster Unionists and the DUP to outline how EU market access is possible without some form of restrictions on internal UK trade.

A DUP spokesperson said: “Our negotiating objectives remain as repeatedly outlined, that is to restore Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom and its internal market, thus ensuring any arrangements that facilitate our continuing access to the EU single market are not incompatible with our place within the United Kingdom”. The UUP did not respond.

Sammy Wilson argued in yesterday’s News Letter that “You can have pure access to the EU market and compromised access to the UK market” or vice versa, “but you can’t have both”.

Asked by the BBC’s Sarah Brett yesterday if she was willing to accept EU laws in NI if it secures access to the EU market, Lagan Valley MLA Emma Little Pengelly said: “We have set out [the DUP’s] seven tests. We have been very clear that is what we will measure what is being proposed against – that will be considered fully by our party officers. As I’ve indicated, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson our party leader said in his New Year’s message – we want to protect access into both – it is clear that’s what business wants in NI. But if we are going to do that it has to be done on the basis of NI’s place within the United Kingdom being fully restored. And our place within the UK internal market being fully restored and protected moving forward, that is critically important”.