The United Kingdom has unveiled a set of measures aimed at reducing trade friction on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While these changes fall short of a complete overhaul of Brexit rules, they are expected to lead to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ending its boycott of Northern Ireland’s devolved government.
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, plans to replace the existing “green lane” for goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland, which is part of the trade border created by the post-Brexit settlement with the European Union (EU). The new system, named the “UK internal market system,” will not require checks on goods, and legislation will be introduced to guarantee “unfettered access” for Northern Irish goods to the UK internal market.
These measures are part of a broader package, including a £3.3 billion ($4.2 billion) funding boost, agreed upon with the DUP to end its boycott of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government. The DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, has been promoting these concessions, and the party has promised to end the protest once the UK government publishes the plan.
The proposed changes do not need EU approval, and as of now, the EU has not raised public objections or protests. Ireland’s deputy premier, Micheal Martin, stated during a visit to Belfast that he does not anticipate any particular difficulties from the EU side.
However, some analysts view these changes as more about presentation than a substantive alteration of the post-Brexit settlement. Simon Usherwood, a professor of politics and international studies at the Open University, notes that the plan does not impact key features of the Brexit settlement, maintaining checks on goods intended for the EU’s single market.
Northern Ireland’s status was a challenging aspect of the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU. The region retained a hybrid status inside the EU’s single market for goods, necessitating customs checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. The existing arrangement remains largely unaffected by the new plan, which will uphold checks on goods bound for the EU’s single market.
The challenge for DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is to garner support from his party members in the coming days as the devolved assembly at Stormont is expected to be re-formed. While the DUP has criticized the proposals in the UK Parliament, the party is likely to accept the plan to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
The DUP withdrew from the power-sharing government in February 2022, citing concerns that Northern Ireland’s hybrid status undermined its place in the UK. The UK’s Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, has called on the DUP to end the boycott, emphasizing that the proposed package should pave the way for ministers to return to Stormont swiftly.
The UK House of Commons is set to debate and vote on the proposals on Thursday. The Labour Party has confirmed that it will support the government in the vote.
Ending the political impasse and restoring power-sharing would be a significant development for Northern Ireland. The region is expected to have its first nationalist First Minister in Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, marking a historic moment in Northern Ireland’s political landscape.
