Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister :-
“These comments come with the caveat that they are based on the accuracy of the Daily Telegraph report.
“My litmus test for a Brexit Deal has always been whether we are leaving “as one nation”? That answers the sovereignty question. Leaving N.I. alone in the EU’s single market on both Agri-food and industrial goods for any length of time means we are not in fact leaving as one nation, but leaving part behind.
“Moreover, the resulting regulatory checks in the Irish Sea would set us apart and impede our economy with our biggest market and supplier, GB. Meanwhile GB can, and will, diverge from EU single market rules, creating an increasing severance with the rest of the U.K.
“Bestowing a decision on future alignment on the dysfunctional Assembly could give Sinn Fein a veto on us ending our EU single market captivity. If the onus is on those proposing change, then, the Petition of Concern would lock us in.
“Moreover, keeping the pot stirring on the issue until 2025 will bring instability and a new focus date for Sinn Féin’s unity referendum demand.
“Accordingly, if these are the proposals, then I hope for EU rejection as the path to a clean Brexit, but fear, despite talk of ‘take it or leave it’, the outcome could be further concessions in negotiations.”