A government commitment to seek cross-community support for its review of the Windsor Framework confirms “the basic inequity” at the heart of the deal, Jim Allister has claimed.

Today, the government announced that the process – triggered by unionist rejection of the deal in a Stormont vote last month – would be led by former NI secretary Lord Murphy.

It will look at how the arrangements which created the Irish Sea border are functioning – and contains a commitment to set out how any recommendations will command the support of both communities.

The TUV leader said that it “cements” a fundamental imbalance in the arrangements “because any changes it recommends must have cross-community consent”.

placeholder image — Jim Allister speaking in the Commons

“What a calculated two fingers to unionism – the Union-dismantling protocol will be imposed without your consent, but any changes must have nationalist consent,” he said.

It comes amid new questions about the government’s commitment to “unfettered access” for NI businesses to the GB market, promised in the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ deal.

Meanwhile, MLAs have voted to hold an inquiry into new EU regulations on plant health.