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LAST UPDATE | 17 May 2022
IF THE UK Government moves to unilaterally override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the North could be in a “very dangerous place”, Michelle O’Neill has said.
The Sinn Féin Vice President told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that such a move by the UK, and any retaliation from the European Union, would result in Northern Ireland being “caught out in the middle of a game of chicken”.
The UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is today expected to declare her intention to bring forward legislation which rips up parts of the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal on Northern Ireland.
It is understood that Truss will make the announcement in a statement to the Commons following a full Cabinet meeting, in an attempt to restore power-sharing in the region.
The row over the protocol has created an impasse in efforts to form a new executive in Stormont, with the Democratic Unionist Party refusing to join a new administration unless its concerns over the arrangements are addressed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Belfast yesterday to meet leaders of the Stormont parties in an attempt to secure progress – but he also used the trip to issue a warning to Brussels that the UK is prepared to rewrite unilaterally the terms of the Brexit deal he signed.
O’Neill today described the meeting with Johnson as “a very robust exchange of views”.
“I’m very firmly of the view – we’re very firmly of the view – that Boris Johnson is pandering to the DUP. He is assisting them in their nonsense in terms of trying to prevent an Executive being formed, a Government that will actually deliver to the public in the aftermath of an election,” she said.
O’Neill said if the UK attempts to unilaterally override parts of the protocol, there will be “further political instability and further economic uncertainty” in Northern Ireland.
She said that such a scenario could see the North “caught in the middle” and being used as “a pawn” in a row between the Conservative Party and the EU.
A majority of MLAs in Stormont’s newly elected Assembly represent parties that support retaining the protocol, with many arguing that the arrangement offers the region protection from some of the negative economic consequences of Brexit.
The threat of unilateral action has already gone down badly in European capitals, with EU leaders urging the UK Government to fully participate in talks.
European Commissioner Mairéad McGuinness today said “there won’t be a knee-jerk reaction” from the EU.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, McGuinness said: “I think in all of this process, which has been lengthy and where there has been some testing of patience, we’ve held our patience because we see the need for both action and compromise … Despite provocations, we have to maintain that level of engagement.”
She continued: “We’re all a little bit confused as to what to expect because there have been many twists and turns in the last week as to what might happen around the protocol. We’ve had some very extreme language, we’ve had some
pullback.”
McGuinness said the build-up to Truss’ statement “has not been pleasant at all” but “there is political will here in the European Union and the Commission to resolve the outstanding issues around the implementation of the protocol”.
“We can’t do that sitting at the table on our own. And indeed, the British Government can’t do it on its own in the House of Commons. We have to do it together.”
McGuinness added that the “vast majority” of elected members of the new Assembly in Northern Ireland “don’t want unilateral action, they don’t want to see further destabilisation”.
‘Not about picking a fight’
A Foreign Office source said “this isn’t about picking a fight with the EU”, saying that Truss’ priority is to uphold the Good Friday Agreement.
“The peace process and acting in the interests of Northern Ireland is what motivates her,” they said.
The PA news agency understands Truss’ ambition is to lay the legislation in Parliament within a couple of weeks, and certainly before the summer. But the overwhelming preference is thought to remain a negotiated solution.
The Global Britain (Strategy) Committee, which considers matters relating to the UK’s trade priorities, will meet first on Tuesday, followed by the full Cabinet, before Truss delivers her statement to the Commons.
Yesterday evening, the UK Foreign Secretary held calls with Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic.
In both, Truss said she underlined the importance of upholding the Good Friday Agreement and re-establishing the Northern Ireland Executive.
Sefcovic later said engaging with “flexibilities” offered by the EU would be preferable to taking unilateral action on the protocol.
He tweeted: “With political will, practical issues arising from the implementation of the protocol in Northern Ireland can be resolved.
“Engaging with us on the flexibilities we offer would be a better course of action than unilateral one. We’re ready to play our part, as from the outset.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday said that the only way to resolve the row was “substantive talks” between the UK and the EU.
With reporting by Órla Ryan
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Unilateral action in a consensual Agreement such as the Protocol is never going to work. Johnston’s Government agreed to the terms of the Protocol for his personal ambitions. The DUP tail wagging the Assembly dog should not be tolerated and instead of seeking to amend the Protocol (the majority of Parties in the Assembly favouring) thought should be given to amending the GFA to allow a deputy FM to be nominated by the next largest Party if the DUP delay, fail or refuse to nominate a Deputy FM.
“The peace process and acting in the interests of Northern Ireland is what motivates her”
So if they don’t do this the peace process could fall apart? So I only take from that that the UDA/DUP are threatening violence again if they don’t get their way.
@Fr. Fintan Stack: Correct and just like during the troubles the Brits have again sided with the Loyalists.
@Joe Johnson: Yes, this time they are backing loyalists or playing the Orange Card, not for the love of them but because it serves their interests to do so.
During the troubles they backed and resourced the loyalists for a very different reason – because the state itself couldnt be seen to be directly carrying out its terror campaign against the nationalist community in its war against the IRA. They failed then on both accounts, and will fail again this time!
Why not have a referendum on the Protocol to show support/ rejection of the concept? If a vote for Brexit caused this problem, surely a vote to accept or reject the consequences should be next!?!
@Shane Cassidy: now that is a sound idea. But might I amend it slightly by saying on The North votes as if the entire “UK” did you’d have people voting who think Northern Ireland is a place they can walk to from London.
@Shane Cassidy: they did basically, they just had an election and fhe mojority elected publically back the protocol.
@Marcus Suridius: exactly. Let the Assembly vote on it therefore. Any refusal of a party to engage following the result should see that party ejected from the Assembly, in effect absentee MLAs by choice.
Liss is going to use her angry Pointing finger, backed up by Bojo with hands on hips and a menacing Benny Hill like gesture. Should be enough to get the job done.
Despite a Population and Voting shift a hundred Years on, there’s been no Political chang as we still have the Unionist Veto. If the British Government are so concerned about the GFA, why did they not take the same action during other Political stalemates and introduce Legislation that was important to the other Parties, such as the Irish Language Act and the Abortion Act. What’s going to happen if there ever is a Vote in favour of a United Island arrangement.
@Owen McGinley: the only way a United ireland vote would ever be accepted is if it wins outright by 70/30 or so. A vote of 52% won’t be strong enough to convince Northern Ireland and the unionists of United ireland.
@Ciaran: it’s 50% plus 1. Where did you get 70/30?????
@Larry Ryan: he is talking about the percentage that would be necessary for it to be acceptable. 51 per cent means that every second person you meet disagrees. Not great.
@Ciaran: no one has to convince anyone of anything. Democratic elections worldwide are accepted as meaning the majority number of votes cast for a particular candidate, party, or proposition on the ballot paper as the winner.
Now you are trying to invent the crazed notion of democracy ‘Irish Style’ that a majority is only reached when it gets to 70%.
So answer me this young Einstein, are you going to be the one who breaks it to Jeffrey Donaldson that unless there’s 70% support in the referendum to remain in the Union, then its game over.
Keep it simple and honest Owen – its 5o% plus 1, for or against!
@Ciaran: Stop with that malarkey. 50% + 1 . The Unionists want their democracy to keep needing a higher percentage for change.
@Angela McCarthy: Still upset that we use PR voting here. Get over it.
@Gary Kearney: go away you clown. there’s no PR in a referendum. you need to get over that!
Where’s the “Democracy” in DUP ?
@Self Employed Anarchist: The D stands for dinosaur!!
@Tom Leddy: D for dick
@Self Employed Anarchist: In name only.
Imagine the uproar if SF decided to pull out if Truss goes ahead with this but it’s fine if the DUP do it.
@Marcus Suridius: The shinners are far too clever for that I would imagine. The DUP are currently killing off its own deceasing support. Its behaving like a dying wasp, and id very surprised if many if not most of its voters, while probably not wanting to see Michele O’Neill in the number 1 spot, never intended to vote for the shutting down of Stormont, particularly in the current economic environment.
Believe it or not, many unionist voters probably also believe in democracy and would see the DUP stunt as a bridge too far, and are probably wondering now why they hadnt voted UUP or Alliance.
So if there was another election in the coming months, the DUP would probably be in big trouble. So all the shinners need do now is sit back and let Boris and Jeffrey play away in their Westminster schoolyard!
@Marcus Suridius: SF is not petty to any international agreements for a good reason.
The British want to offload north of Ireland asap , hence their false posturing…. The Republic of Ireland badly needs to start preparing for an imminent amalgamation.
Easiest solution for all is for England to leave ireland altogether. The only ones who don’t want that are a few contrary unionists. And they can go live in England instead.
@Rob Gale: that’s very realistic , A few Unionists ?
I said it on this forum before. Unless the electorate in NI get rid of the DUP this type of nonsense will continue at the expense of the ordinary citizens they are mandated to represent. They are so thick skinned they cannot see that they have the best of both worlds at present. Britain will drop them in the morning given half a chance
@Eamonn Byrne: the problem is they campaigned on the basis of this, not sitting in the Assembly until the Protocol is ripped up, and the people voted for them in their droves.
@GrumpyAulFella: bit like the droves who voted for Brexit without having clue about what they were actually voting for.
Something that occured to me yesterday was that NI free access to the UK market would disappear in the event of a united Ireland. Ironically the successful operation of the protocol is one “good” reason for people in Northern Ireland to maintain their duel status and a divided Ireland. I would like in my heart to see a united Ireland I hasten to add, I think Johnson and Truss should work with the majority of the elected MLAs instead of pandering to a minority, but I suspect it is UK support to strengthen his position is more in his mind and being able to blame the EU – he needs to be taken to international task as his own constituants will always side with him and Tory empire ideals and no one listens to the UK opposition
Perfidious Albion
Boris Johnson is going to make Sinn Fein the winners in the next General Election in the Republic by a mile.
“Democratic”UP looking for a place to hide now the election result has dealt them a poke in the eye!
Grab at any straw,tear up any previously signed agreement ,talk out of both sides of their mouths. How can anybody negotiate with their likes knowing they will walk away when it suits them. No honour,no attempt to hide their bigotry after all this time.
They have met their master match in Johnston.
They should do an ‘oul Balfor declaration 2 so the loyalists can have a homeland on the isle of man
SF allowed the DUP to promote this unchallenged for months. Tell a lie long enough and people will believe it.
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