Speaking about a new TUV policy document spelling out the party’s vision for a new InterTrade UK body Jim Allister said:
“TUV is clear. We campaigned for a Brexit for the WHOLE of the UK. No one was asked if they wanted Great Britain to leave the EU but Northern Ireland to remain a vassal state, subject to the EU and yet without any say. The protocol must go. Being marooned in the EU’s Single Market, Customs Union and VAT regime can never be acceptable. Article 16 should be invoked as a first step in recovering from this mess.
“However, we also believe more needs to be done long term to promote and cement internal U.K. trade.
“Back in December I suggested on the floor of the Assembly that the Economy Minister should push for the creation of an InterTrade UK body. Sadly the response has been lukewarm to this proposal but I trust the Minister and the Executive will give serious consideration to such a plan.
“Today TUV is publishing our ideas about what this body would look like and how it would operate.
“We propose that InterTrade UK body would have the following as its basic mission statement:
“The promotion of free trade and business within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, overcoming all hindrances to internal UK trade and the enhancement of the global competitiveness of the whole UK economy in light of opportunities across the world.”
“InterTrade UK would be put on a statutory footing and would operate under the direction of the Secretary of State for Business at Westminster and the Minister of the Economy in Northern Ireland. It would have a board made up of appointees from the Secretary of State for Business, the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland, the Welsh Economy Minister and the Scottish Secretary for the Economy.
“The body would be based in offices in Northern Ireland and be staffed by a workforce tasked with easing the flow of trade within the UK.
“The case for InterTradeUK is unanswerable. The most recent data available shows that purchases from Great Britain dwarfed imports from the Republic by almost five to one. In fact, the purchases from Great Britain were over 70% greater than those from the rest of the world combined!
“Over the same period, sales to Great Britain amounted to some £10.6 million. Sales to the Republic were worth just £4.2 million. In fact, sales to Great Britain amounted to £3 million more than sales to the entire EU.
“Clearly, GB is our primary and essential market. Crippling this trade as the Protocol does is disastrous for all in Northern Ireland.
“There is no economic logic or reason for the Irish Sea border. There certainly are no opportunities. Its motivation is purely political. The purpose is clear. It is designed not just to annex Northern Ireland from the UK and detain it within the EU customs and single market, but to orientate and create dependency on the Republic. This is hugely damaging to our economy.
“As the reality of the protocol begins to dawn and even those – such as Alliance – who campaigned for its “rigorous implementation” furiously backpedal, finding actual solutions to this disaster is the imperative.
“I invite all to seriously study these proposals and join TUV in seeking to do the best we can for Northern Ireland’s business community and our economy.”
Download the document here.