Responding to speculation about a possible deal between the Government and the EU Jim Allister said:
“Where do you find ‘Green and Red lanes’? At a border, of course. So of themselves they confirm and solidify the Irish Sea border, as the U.K. needlessly takes on the role of policing the EU’s single market as Brussels’ surrogate, but with the additional infringement of EU staff operating on U.K. territory.
“Even the EU treaties are premised on the fact that it is for the EU’s frontier states to protect the EU’s single market. But, here it is being suggested that a non-EU member performs that role in its territory!
“But, more than that in order to operate, this system requires ‘green lane’ goods to be accompanied by multiple and costly declarations, with spot checks, meaning there is anything but the ‘equal footing’ trade guaranteed by Art 6 of the Acts of Union. Moving goods from GB to Northern Ireland would still be inhibited.
“But the Protocol is about more than the movement of goods. A key part of its sovereignty grab lies in the imposition of EU law on Northern Ireland.
“Unless the sovereignty issue is addressed, everything else is meaningless.”