Comber TUV councillor Stephen Cooper has lambasted the DUP and UUP over their lack of support to oppose the continuance of Northern Ireland subservience to EU regulations under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), between DAERA and our eleven councils.
Councillor Cooper said:
”I am appalled, but not surprised that both the DUP and UUP have yet again shown their disregard for the danger the Union finds itself facing as a result of the Protocol.
“After both parties voted through a raft of 47 regulations on the 8th of December last year, one would be forgiven for thinking that all of Unionism could unite in opposition against anything so crucially damaging as the outworkings of the Protocol to our economic and constitutional status quo, but, alas, no.
“To acquiesce to accepting that Northern Ireland will be treated differently than the rest of the UK, and even worse, with zero chance of influencing or altering any future regulatory changes is a truly stupendous mixture of stupidity and treachery combined under this MOU.
“The pithy excuses offered by those complicit in this latest sorry episode were as bizarre as anything I have ever witnessed in my years in council.
“The attempts to try and suggest that these regulations have nothing to do with the Protocol ring hollow, as the rest of the UK have changed their regulatory framework, whilst here in Northern Ireland we have the continuance of the pre-Brexit regulations being accepted and all without any democratic recourse for change or alteration.
“Whilst both the DUP and UUP claim to be opposed to an Irish Sea Border, they have both accepted and agreed to cement that very same barrier between Northern Ireland and GB in accepting the continuance of these EU authoritative regulations.
“The Unionist electorate would do well to remember this in any future election, as quite frankly, as they are complicit in destroying the very Union they claim to protect by their insipid and glaring incompetence.
My proposal was as follows;
”I propose we withdraw our approval to this MOU, and write to Minister Poots to clarify why we are continuing to implement EU regulations with no control over any future derogation of same; and furthermore, how N.I.’s legislation in this specific MOU differs from the rest of the United Kingdom.”
“Alderman Jimmy Menagh and Cllr Tom Smith both supported me, Alderman Gibson of DUP abstained.
“The rest, unfortunately, opposed the motion.
“In our time of need, surely we need Unionist representatives who do not refuse to take any opportunity to thwart or stymie the critical damage being done to the Union by said Protocol and its outworkings?”