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N.I protocol, still differences.

NI protocol issues

 The foreign secretary said that London and Brussels still have «genuine differences» over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, despite the first tangible signs of progress in ending a bitter deadlock.

On a visit to meet politicians and business leaders in the region, where the impasse has paralysed politics for months, James Cleverly said he would not be rushed into signing a deal with Brussels on the Northern Ireland protocol without ensuring it was sustainable.

But he triggered a local political dispute by refusing to allow Mary Lou McDonald, head of the all-island nationalist Sinn Féin party, to attend talks. «We’re not setting timelines. We’re not setting deadlines. We want to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, but there are still gaps that need to be resolved,» Cleverly said.

«Having good mood music is important on its own it’s not enough . . . there are still genuine differences, and they can’t just be wished away,» he said.

The DUP has vetoed the Stormont assembly and power-sharing executive since elections in May last year. Deirdre Heenan, professor at Ulster University, said the exclusion of McDonald from yesterday’s meeting, in a week when there had been welcome progress on the protocol, was a «completely avoidable PR disaster».

Because of Cleverly’s decision, Sinn Féin sent no one to the meeting, and the smaller nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party also stayed away.

London and Brussels this week secured a tentative deal that would give Brussels access to the UK’s IT systems for trade across the Irish Sea.

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Comments

  1. Cory12 January 2023 at 17:51

    Everyone must be able to attend these talks. Progress can't be made by just a few people deciding, everyone must be involved.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eduard12 January 2023 at 18:18

    The Sinn Féin party needs to be included and they need to return to the table, not act mad about what happened. They are representing the people and need to act accordingly. As does Cleverly.

    ReplyDelete

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