Thank you for contacting me about Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.
Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom, its internal market and customs territory. The Government is steadfastly committed to respecting Northern Ireland’s integral place in the UK’s internal market and preserving the delicate balance of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions – East-West as well as North-South.
The Northern Ireland Protocol reiterated this, setting out commitments to be respected in all circumstances that included ensuring unfettered access to the rest of the UK market and protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory. The Protocol was clear in its respect for the “essential state functions” of the UK.
However, it has become clear that the Protocol is not working and has created practical problems in four key areas: burdensome customs processes, inflexible regulation, tax and spend discrepancies, and democratic governance issues. These problems are undermining all three strands of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and have led to the collapse of the power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.
To fix these problems, the Government has introduced the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. This is a reasonable and practical solution which is designed to protect all three strands of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, including North-South cooperation, and support stability and power-sharing in Northern Ireland. I can assure you that this Bill will end the untenable situation where people in Northern Ireland are treated differently to the rest of the United Kingdom, and protect the supremacy of our courts and our territorial integrity. It will also safeguard the EU Single Market and protect the free flow of North-South trade, ensuring there continues to be no hard border on the island of Ireland.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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