Tim Collins: 'Safeguarding the Union' command paper is a shambles - and DUP must take ownership of their failure

By Tim Collins

Published 4th Jun 2024, 00:01 BST

I see the unacceptable treatment of Northern Ireland and its people as a result of the chaos Brexit has created.

Northern Ireland voted massively to remain in the EU. As an integral part of the UK however, we had to accept the democratic decision of the majority, but ironically, it is the people of Northern Ireland who are suffering disproportionately.

The UUP, along with other unionists, highlighted the lack, within the "Safeguarding the Union” command paper, of any fundamental change to the border in the Irish Sea, the implementation of EU law, or the resolution of any of the DUP's famed seven tests.

Indeed, like a diabolical Pandora’s box, something worse seems to emerge from the deal at every turn. However, the answer is not to inflict even more suffering on our people by collapsing the assembly. We need to negotiate our way out of this.

Against the claims of the DUP leadership team that this was the solution to all the woes created by Boris Johnson’s protocol, the UUP cautioned that none of what was being claimed by Jeffrey Donaldson or Gavin Robinson had been achieved.

In the last week we have seen the new DUP leader (who, as the former deputy leader was centrally engaged at every stage in the creation of this command paper) stating that the deal was “oversold” to the electorate of Northern Ireland - would the word “misled” be more appropriate?

Not only must the DUP take ownership for their failure to deliver when they alone held the balance of power at Westminster under Theresa May’s government, they must also take ownership of supporting Boris Johnson in the creation of the protocol; of allowing a flawed Windsor Framework amendment; mis-selling the “Safeguarding the Union” command paper; and handing back powers from an elected devolved assembly to Westminster.

On the latter, as my party colleague Steve Aiken said: “I do not see this as a win for Northern Ireland or for unionism, I see this as a situation akin to giving up your car to sit on a bus driven by someone who will neither tell you where they are going or ask you where you want to travel to.”

This is only the latest in the attempt to hoodwink the people of Northern Ireland that anything was gained during the last two years of political collapse.

The Windsor Framework, under the heading “To restore the smooth flow of trade within the UK internal market", clearly states that only intelligence-led checks, such as to prevent smuggling or other criminality, will be carried out on internal UK trade. That will account for no checks on 95% of goods moving within the UK internal market.

The Safeguarding the Union paper says, in paragraph 96, that the UK government will direct DAERA to eliminate physical checks on goods within the internal market, except risk-based or intelligence-led checks in respect to smuggling or disease risks. This will account for roughly no checks on 95% of goods moving within the UK internal market. This is the same sleight-of-hand offered in regard to “there is no Irish Sea Border” when clearly there is.

The government have laid regulations in Westminster which do not only attempt to repackage what was agreed in the Windsor Framework as something new, but to reduce Stormont’s ability to govern Northern Ireland. This has been done solely to allow those who collapsed the institutions to claim that “they” are not administering a border in the Irish Sea.

The UUP has always been clear. We want the protocol to go away as much as it ever can.

The potential for a new Labour government, with a large majority, moving closer to the EU may deliver much of that. If that is the direction of travel, then it is essential that NI MPs are there to persuade and influence positively the outcome for our constituents. By doing so we can be part of the solution and not, as many of our former NI MPs in Westminster were seen, any part of the problem.

In my view the greatest threat to the Union is not from the Irish Sea border, God knows it is real enough and still very much in existence - the real threat is from MPs in Great Britain beginning to regard us as a burden and an obstacle to progress.

As the opportunity to resolve some of the difficulties inflicted by the Brexit decision emerges post the General Election, there is not higher priority for Northern Irish MPs than to ensure that the damage done by Brexit is ameliorated to at least some extent and that we face up to the reality of our predicament.

The “Safeguarding the Union” command paper has misled our people. It is no “work in progress” - it is a shambles.

Colonel Tim Collins is the UUP candidate for North Down.

Ruth Dudley Edwards will appear later in the week.