The former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were central to the Belfast and successor Agreements.
It is interesting that both of them now recognise the need for political leadership in Brussels and London as opposed to technical talks.
The Protocol is undermining the Belfast Agreement. There is no question about that.
The EU should take note and recognise the harm the Protocol is doing to political stability in Northern Ireland. The political will to get a solution which respects Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom has been absent for too long.
There will be no solid basis for an Executive and Assembly until the Protocol is replaced with arrangements that restore NI’s place in the UK internal market and our constitutional arrangements are respected.
It would be unwise for London or Brussels to ignore the views of Unionists.
Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. If no nationalists supported the Protocol, Washington D.C., London, Brussels and Dublin would be demanding change.
24/1/23
Jim Shannon MP states: "There will be no solid basis for an Executive and Assembly until the Protocol is replaced with arrangements that restore NI’s place in the UK internal market and our constitutional arrangements are respected."
I comment: Thinking Unionists and Loyalists will immediately agree, generally, with Mr Shannon's statement.
It logically and politically follows that without British State Sovereignty being fully recognised and fully accepted by any such envisaged Executive and Assembly - such an Executive/Assembly would be utterly useless in legislating; governing; or maintaining the Province of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the State of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, UK.
Furthermore: having politicians within such an Executive/Assembly who, currently and blatantly do not…