Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal is the start of a positive new era in our relationship with the EU

The Windsor Framework finally ends the uncertainty created with the Northern Ireland Protocol, setting us on the path to new opportunities

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STEVE BAKER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

27 February 2023 • 9:00pm

We were elected on a manifesto pledge to "Get Brexit Done". However, the Northern Ireland Protocol has been – until now – unfinished business, just as we knew it would be when we voted for Boris Johnson’s deal.

I passionately believe that our decision to leave the European Union was the right one and I keenly want us to take advantage of the full suite of opportunities open to us as an independent, sovereign nation, including in Northern Ireland as an integral part of our United Kingdom.

The Protocol has upset the delicate balance of the Good Friday Agreement and caused the power-sharing institutions to collapse. We must rebalance the Protocol, restore the consent of all communities, and chart a new course for Northern Ireland – and the deal the Prime Minister has announced does that.

The Windsor Framework is the start of a new chapter in our national life. We have found new ways to end the uncertainty and challenges faced by people and businesses in Northern Ireland. It is a deal that many said would be impossible, and it represents the start of a positive new era in our relationship with the European Union

We have taken three big steps forward. The deal that has been struck will deliver free flowing trade by removing the border in the Irish Sea. It will remove the ban on supermarket food, like sausages, so that anything that is available in Great Britain will also be available in Northern Ireland. Products such as shrubs, trees and Scottish seed potatoes will once again be able to be sold into Northern Ireland.

The agreement will also scrap customs for post and parcels, making it easier to send gifts and shop online. Arduous and time-consuming export declarations for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain will no longer be needed. This is a huge win for business.

An achievement many thought impossible

Crucially, the agreement will safeguard Northern Ireland’s place in the Union. When the UK Government cuts things like VAT on beer, that cut will also apply to Northern Ireland. It also tackles EU state aid law, so that businesses can trade and invest freely in Northern Ireland.

We know that sovereignty was a major reason as to why so many people turned out and voted Brexit, in the largest democratic vote that this country has ever witnessed. A new Stormont Brake will allow Northern Ireland to block new EU laws via a new UK veto. This will be a powerful safeguard, based on cross-community consent. I can’t overstate the importance of this achievement which many believed would be impossible.

The Windsor Framework will be based in international law through the Vienna Convention. It will scrap 1,700 pages of EU law and make permanent and legally binding changes to the Protocol. This marks the end of dynamic alignment.

The Windsor Framework is – thank goodness - a real turning point. It preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and it brings to an end years of arguments about our exit from the European Union. We must take what is a huge win and move on as partners with our European friends and neighbours, working together on issues from defence and security to climate change. We must focus on the opportunities that await us, to the benefit of people and businesses across the United Kingdom. It is time to put the disagreements behind us and look to the future with confidence.