Brexit Border Plan Splits Local Parties

Local political parties have united against the DUP after they endorsed the Prime Minister's new Brexit proposals.

Boris Johnson's new plan, outlined on Wednesday, would effectively see Northern Ireland remain in the European single market for goods but leave the customs union- resulting in new customs checks.

Parties in Stormont would get to approve the arrangements and vote every four years on whether to keep them.

Democratic Unionist Leader Arlene Foster said the backstop replacement plan represents a sensible way forward and gives Northern Ireland more consent in terms of the "anti-democratic" backstop.

This endorsement sparked anger among other political parties, with the DUP accused of breaking their red lines on Brexit.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann said the Prime Minister and the DUP are "fooling no-one with these proposals".

The north Antrim MLA believes the agreement would leave the region in a perpetual cycle of uncertainty, locked into continual political debates about Brexit and alignment with the rest of the UK or EU.

"It plunges Northern Ireland into a referendum in the Assembly Chamber every four years with high stakes consequences for our people. It will keep our businesses and agri-food sector in a perpetual cycle of uncertainty.

"These proposals haven't been thought through and would see DUP statements that Northern Ireland would leave the EU on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom being flipped on their heads.

"This represents a road to Damascus conversion by the DUP and a very sharp u-turn on statements they made to the Northern Ireland public."

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein claimed the proposals would give the party an effective veto at Stormont.

Deputy Leader Michelle O'Neill MLA said: "The British Government is offering an all-Ireland regulatory zone for all goods, yet makes these arrangements dependent on the consent of the Assembly, effectively giving the DUP a veto.

"The proposals go further by extending the need for such consent to the All-Ireland single electricity market, again giving a veto to the DUP on whether to keep the lights on or not."

The SDLP responded by accusing the British Government of breaching its commitment to avoiding a hard border. Party Leader Colum Eastwood said the DUP's endorsement should come as no surprise.

The Foyle MLA said: "Hailing the democratic accountability of this proposal, having supported the unlawful suspension of democratic scrutiny at Westminster, in the full knowledge that there is no Assembly to provide accountability is incredible.

"They honestly think people are idiots. But by their own test – that any solution must command the support of all communities, they must accept that this is dead on arrival."



(JG/CM)