If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here. He said the protocol was divisive, disproportionate and unfair. The situation was different for soldiers returning to what became in 1922 the Irish Free State - Addressing the media in Co Fermanagh, Mrs Foster said the idea of Nato having a say on the movement of military equipment within the UK was completely outrageous. He called for clear reflection on the Northern Ireland Protocol, describing what has been introduced as not proportionate or reasonable. In January 1913 this was carried a stage further when the Ulster Unionist Council decided that the volunteers should become the Ulster Volunteer Force Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs, who represents the area covering Larne Port, said there should be no place for violence or the threat of violence. This should not merely be a Northern Ireland issue but it should be of serious concern for every MP at Westminster, no matter what party they represent.. The best jobs had gone to Protestants, but the humming local economy still provided work for Catholics. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? By Brexit is for keeps, I mean this is a big game changer for all of us and it has to be managed in a way that is sensible, in a way that is fair, she told Sky News. UUP MLA Doug Beattie, a decorated Army veteran, said the restrictions were a consequence of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which governs the movement of goods across the Irish Sea since the Brexit transition period ended. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. In the counties that remained part of the United Kingdom, the 36th (Ulster) Divisions role at the Battle of the Somme became and remains a key aspect of the unionist communitys identity and heritage. Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said the UK Government needed to invoke Article 16 of the protocol to suspend its operation until issues causing disruption were addressed. Inspections on animal-based produce arriving from Great Britain, which are required under the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol, were suspended at Belfast and Larne ports on Monday evening after menacing graffiti appeared. Mrs McDonald said the focus needed to be on resolving initial problems with new Irish Sea trading arrangements, not ditching the protocol. Northern Ireland unionists have called for Government intervention amid claims Brexit red tape could hinder the movement of military equipment within the UK. A Gannett Company. Quite frankly, its bad law, he told RTE. Its just an example of the hundreds of issues that have been raised and well continue to work through those issues and be focused on each of them. Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said he would be open to limited extensions but he made clear there could be no renegotiation of the protocols terms. 2021- Highland News and Media Ltd. All rights reserved. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. But thats not the same thing as scrapping the protocol and its important to make a strong distinction between the two.. The DUP, which is urging the UK Government to bin the protocol, is pursuing a series of political moves aimed at undermining the mechanism, including a boycott on engagement with the Irish Government on issues related to its operation and a vow to oppose any protocol-related legislation at the Assembly. On Friday, Democratic Unionist First Minister Arlene Foster contacted Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to express concern. So come and work with us, lets get together, the spirit of powersharing is whats important right now, working in partnership to deal with the problems. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies -. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Leader, Steve Aiken OBE MLA said: The UUP is delighted to have contributed to the University of Liverpools Institute of Irish Studies digital platform. It has been outflanked by the Ulster Unionists and TUV and will seemingly go to any lengths to regain the upper hand. Thats why called right at the beginning for the triggering of Article 16, because we need to get to the point where we actually put a pause to this before the three quarters of the Northern Ireland economy that depends on that East West linkage gets irreparably damaged.. We can now work together to resolve some of the difficulty, but lets all calm down, work together, put the rhetoric at the door because its not going to help and it will have a political impact. Get involved with the news in your community, This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. A spokeswoman for the MoD said: The Northern Ireland Protocol has not placed any limitations on the Ministry of Defences ability to conduct operations.. Unionists and loyalists believe Northern Irelands position within the UK has been undermined by the protocol, which was incorporated into the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure a free-flowing Irish land border post-Brexit. Get the Inverness Courier sent to your inbox every week and swipe through an exact replica of the day's newspaper. Were seeing stability being rocked this week in a number of different ways and I think as political leaders we all have a responsibility, first and foremost, to be honest with our people and tell them what the scenario is, what the context is, why we have trading barriers and also come together to work through it, because the alternative is just not worth contemplating.. Mrs Foster said a restriction on the movement of military equipment was among hundreds of problems created by the protocol. Asked by RTE if there could be a threat to powersharing if unionists took an increasingly hard-line approach to the protocol, Mr Eastwood said: Yes, I think there could be and unionism needs to learn the lesson that they should have learned a number of times over the past 100 years the British Government will let you down and if you keep going to the right youre going to end up in a worse position when you come back to the table. The MoD has insisted the protocol arrangements are not limiting its ability to carry out operations in Northern Ireland. Some workers returned to work on Friday but inspections have not yet fully resumed. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. New Irish Sea shipping arrangements mean the armed forces need to give 15 days notice, complete customs declarations and even inform Nato, in order to take materials from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, according to the Ulster Unionist Party. Mr Beattie has written to various Government ministers calling for the issue to be resolved without delay. The identity of unionists as British remains intact while at the same time nationalists can work towards a reunited Ireland by persuading their unionist friends to join with us in Dublin. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. HP10 9TY | 01676637 | Registered in England & Wales. In the broadest sense, it could be anyone who believes in the value of the European Union as a project for peace, prosperity and progress in Europe. Copyright 2001-2021. Mr Eastwood urged the DUP to end talk of political boycotts and dial down the rhetoric, and instead join with other Stormont parties to find workable solutions to issues linked to the new regulatory and customs processes on Irish Sea shipments. But continuing to run to the microphone, have petitions and talk about protests and all that none of that works, its not based in reality. Police blamed the graffiti and menacing online comments on disgruntled individuals and small groups, and have made clear there is no evidence of wider paramilitary involvement in threats. The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, and also known colloquially as the Tories, Tory Party, or simply the Conservatives, is a political party in the United Kingdom.Ideologically, the Conservatives sit on the centre-right of the political spectrum. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said Brexiteers had to accept that new trading borders between Great Britain and the island of Ireland were a permanent consequence of the UKs exit from the EU. ITV Hub - the new home of ITV Player, ITV on demand and live TV. In these testing times, your support is more important than ever. Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken (Brian Lawless/PA) Inspections on animal-based produce arriving from Great Britain, which are required under the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol, were suspended at Belfast and Larne ports on Monday evening after menacing graffiti appeared. Calls from the DUP and other unionist parties in the region to ditch or suspend the protocol have intensified in recent weeks amid evidence of some disruption to trade arriving in the region from Great Britain. Back in Ulster, the covenant organisers had demonstrated their ability to mobilise huge numbers of people for their cause. Mr Beattie described the situation as ludicrous. Powersharing in Northern Ireland could be threatened if unionists continue to agitate for the unrealistic scrapping of new Irish Sea trading arrangements, the SDLP has warned. Its not acceptable that military movements within the United Kingdom should be affected in the way that has been reported, she said. We know the DUP campaigned for Brexit, it was a strategic error at the time. Colum Eastwoods warning came as the Irish Government said it would be open to modest extensions of current grace periods that limit the bureaucracy associated with the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol. A European unionist is everything the name suggests. The UK Government and European Commission are due to hold further talks aimed at finding solutions in the coming week. This shows how ludicrous and unacceptable the outworking of the Northern Ireland Protocol are in practice. We know regrettably what happens when you have bad treaties and what it means for the overall relationships across these islands as we go on. Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland remains in the single market for goods and continues to apply EU customs rules at its ports and airports. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove has suggested extending a series of grace periods that are currently in operation that limit the level of red tape associated with the protocol. New Irish Sea shipping arrangements mean the armed forces need to give 15 days notice, complete customs declarations and even inform Nato, in order to take materials from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, according to the Ulster Unionist Party. Thank you. However, there needs to be a replacement to this protocol and we need to find a way forward that is sustainable, because what we have at the moment is unworkable.. A MAN caught doing 101mph on the way back to Ballymena from Belfast claimed he wanted to get home as quickly as possible as he was feeling unwell with an "upset stomach" and although he accepts he was over the speed limit he didn't realise he was going so fast. THE DUPs response to the protocol increasingly smells of desperation. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. The withdrawal of loyalist paramilitary support for the Belfast Agreement does not signal an intent to return to violence, a DUP MP has insisted. The party also launched an online parliamentary petition aimed at securing a Westminster debate on the matter. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The UK Government wants to extend these exemption periods, some of which are due to expire at the end of March, to January 2023 in order to provide space to find permanent solutions. Latest general election results from the UKs 650 constituencies. Press Association 2021. This site uses cookies. It is also someone who respects European citizens' rights, responsibilities and freedom to live, work and retire in any EU member state. As of January 1, any movement of materials and equipment from Great Britain will be required to give 15 days notice and complete a customs declarations form, said Mr Beattie. Even more incredibly, to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland they will have to complete a Nato form that is designed for movement of Nato forces around the globe. Certainly I would be open to advocating for modest extensions of grace periods when appropriate to try to, first of all, reassure people that were listening to them in Northern Ireland, because we are, and then, secondly, so that we can ensure that businesses can operate as best they can under the protocol, he told RTE.