Belfast Newsletter, July 3
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that his party would give the government a chance to respond, but that any outcome would be “a matter for public record”.
He spoke to the committee a day after endorsing a paper by the Centre for Brexit Policy think-tank, that advocated replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with a system of “mutual enforcement” for trade regulations. Under such a set-up, the UK government would enforce Brussels’ rules for British exports to the European Union and penalise any breaches through its courts. The EU, for its part, would ensure that companies in its jurisdiction met British rules when they sold goods to the UK.
The DUP leader told the launch event on Tuesday that the proposals could provide a “stable foundation” for the restoration of Stormont. The government, though, is unlikely to reopen negotiations with the EU. It will continue to insist, against a growing volume of contrary evidence, that the Windsor Framework removed “any sense” of a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, said last week that, while negotiations are continuing to get power-sharing back, he will not “give a running commentary” on their progress.
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