Boris Johnson had hoped the planned Internal Market Bill would appease Northern Irish Unionist outrage over the Withdrawal Agreement”. However, Northern Ireland’s DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson fumed: “We’re still angry.” The DUP felt abandoned by Westminster after the Government signed the Withdrawal Agreement last year.
Mr Wilson added: “We’re even angrier that a lot of the other things which we have pointed out in the deal which are detrimental to Northern Ireland have not yet been dealt with.”
Even Mr Johnson’s controversial Internal Market Bill, which threatens to tear up key elements of the withdrawal agreement’s Northern Ireland protocol, has not placated the Unionists.
The Prime Minister’s actions have led to outrage on all sides.
The DUP are livid that the Prime Minister has not gone far enough.
Meanwhile, Nationalists are angry because the Internal Markets Bill threatens the Good Friday Agreement.
Business leaders from all sides of the political divide fear the Internal Market Bill will make an already complicated situation even more difficult.
The EU under Ursula von der Leyen has hinted that a trade deal is still possible, but that if the UK enacts the Internal Market Bill the bloc will take legal action.
The EU and the UK hope to make an agreement before the Brexit transition period ends on December 31.
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She said: “Any U-turn by Boris Johnson would be an extraordinary and indefensible act of bad faith which would totally undermine his credibility and that of the British government,”
Northern Ireland’s economy could suffer most under a no-deal Brexit.
Trade with the south is crucial, as is trade with the rest of the UK.
Glyn Roberts, chief of Retail NI, said: “The prospect of the huge economic downturn that’s coming with Covid and a no-deal for any responsible government or politician would be absolutely a nightmare scenario, given what’s at stake.”
