Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“Lord Benyon’s letter on behalf of the government is significant in two key regards.
“Firstly, it confirms that, like the EU, HMG’s focus is only on “the operation of the Protocol”, rather than the reversal of its sovereignty grab and resulting constitutional consequences. Unionists who thought the Protocol Bill had a different intent will be disappointed.
“Secondly, it demonstrates that green and red lanes in fact confirm the existence of the Irish Sea border and will produce even greater and permanent border infrastructure at Larne and Belfast. Even the green lane access would still be under the aegis of the Protocol with declarations and paperwork still required to bring goods from GB, even though they would never leave Northern Ireland. The idea of having to be in a ‘trusted trader scheme’ to trade within your own country is obnoxious and wrong. Such would still leave the ‘same footing’ guarantee of Art 6 of the Acts of Union disapplied!
“Just as TUV called the Protocol right from the beginning, as the Union-dismantling instrument it is, so, our warnings that green and red lanes are confirmatory of the Irish Sea border and no panacea are borne out by this revealing letter.
“If Unionists are being trussed up for another betrayal, then, strength, not weakness, must be the response.
“TUV continues to question why the U.K. sees itself as the EU’s surrogate when it comes to protecting the EU’s Single Market. That should be the task of the EU and it should happen in its own territory. Instead, the Protocol cedes NI to EU control and puts the border down the Irish Sea.”