By Tony O’Reilly-
British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, says being in the single market and UK makes Northern Ireland ‘world’s most exciting economic zone’
Sunak said nowhere else in the world has the advantages Northern Ireland has, being in the EU single market and in the UK, which makes it unique in the world.
Rishi Sunak(pictured) is in Belfast to secure support for his deal with the EU over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland
The prime minister told the BBC this morning his deal was a “huge step forward” for the people of NI. He said: “This is not necessarily about me or one political party… it’s about what’s best for people and communities”
In an interview for broadcasters in Northern Ireland, Rishi Sunak played down concerns that the NI assembly would not really have a veto over new EU single market legislation under the “Stormont brake” procedure.
Sunak explained the value of the Stormont brake procedure – but would not say in what circumstances the UK government would apply it a she seeks further talks with the Northern Ireland parties to codify this.
He replied: The Stormont brake is an incredibly powerful new cross-community safeguard. What it means is that the people and institutions of Northern Ireland are in control of their destiny.
If there is a significant new EU law that comes along that will have lasting and significant impact on everyday lives of people here in Northern Ireland, then the assembly will be allowed to pull the emergency.
The protocol was designed to prevent a hard border with Ireland after Brexit but means Northern Ireland has continued to follow EU rules on goods to prevent checks being needed when crossing into the Republic.
Unionists’ anger over the trade barriers in the Irish Sea culminated in the DUP collapsing power-sharing in February last year, leaving Northern Ireland without an executive or an assembly.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was “welcome” that an agreement had been reached and urged the DUP to reenter power-sharing, adding: “There is a real urgency to get the Northern Executive up and running.”
“All different parties need to sit down at the executive table taking the decisions which impact on people’s lives, that is where we should be,” she said.
“There shouldn’t be delays in that. We have a health service in crisis, public sector workers out on the picket line.
“Where we need to be is making politics work and standing up for the people that we represent collectively and I think that’s where our energies and efforts need to be now.”