Allister and Burrowes issue joint statement on brake
TUV leader welcomes united front with UUP counterpart Jon Burrowes
TWO unionist leaders representing North Antrim have come together to issue a rare joint statement on the triggering of the ‘Stormont Brake’.
The Stormont Brake was applied in relation to the application of EU law to Northern Ireland that redefines the terms of the customs border that has ‘cut the UK in two’.
This is only the second time that the Stormont Brake mechanism has been triggered.
On Friday the UUP leader, Jon Burrowes and TUV leader Jim Allister have issued statements, together with the CEO of the Inter-Trade UK Business Association through, Peter Summerton.
“‘The Ulster Unionist Party has been raising very real concerns about the negative consequences of the EU’s new Union Customs Code for well over a year,” said local MLA Mr Burrowes.
“That is why we are working with other unionists to pull the Stormont Brake.
“At the recent meeting of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee, members received very clear advice that the Union Customs Code is a significant change to the existing rules and regulations. That is an understatement.
“The new code, which Northern Ireland will be regulated by, fundamentally deepens the divergence between ourselves and the rest of our nation.
“It will mean substantially more bureaucracy, more regulation, new digital labelling and much more. We were also told that within our part of the United Kingdom, EU customs law now has primacy.
“This does no one any good, and that is why the Ulster Unionist Party is calling on the Secretary of State and the UK Government to operate the Stormont Brake and support Northern Ireland businesses.”
MP Jim Allister welcomed the show of unity.
‘It is absolutely right that all unionists come together to pull the brake on EU Regulation 2026/2108.,” he said.
“This legislation does not simply continue the customs border. It makes the border more disruptive in a way that will have a permanent negative effect that is likely to persist.
“In this context it is extraordinary to witness the UK Government simultaneously telling the people of GB that it is imperative to move the SPS border between GB and other countries to assist trade, even as it welcomes the renewed division of the United Kingdom by an international customs border cutting our country in two.
“This is an intolerable situation that cannot be allowed to continue.”
Peter Summerton Chair of the Inter-Trade UK Business Association, welcomed the intervention.
‘The impact of imposing a customs border within a domestic supply chain under EU Regulation 2013/952 inevitably caused significant constraints on the supply chain between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The department of the economy has acknowledged and reported on this,” he said,
“Many businesses have simply ceased trading with Northern Ireland.
“The new Customs code applied in EU Regulation 2016/2108 is plainly worse. It will lead to a further deterioration in GB NI trade and increase trade diversion, distorting natural commercial activity.
“This is the opposite of the stated intention of the Windsor Framework so it is essential that the assurances given to business in the Framework are enacted. The Secretary of State must apply the brake to prevent further distortion to the market.
“Effective trading between GB and NI is in the best interests of everyone in Northern Ireland and ITUKBA calls on all elected representatives to support the application of the safeguards.”
The application for pulling the Brake having been lodged with the Presiding Officer who sends it to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.