The contours of the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU have finally been established nine years after the British people voted to leave the bloc. Both London and Brussels have spent the past few days talking up the benefits of the trade agreement, though much remains to be negotiated now – and for many years in the future.
Northern Ireland is poised to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the agreement. London agreed to a system of “dynamic alignment”, meaning that EU and UK regulatory standards will not diverge. This helps to underpin the post-Brexit Windsor Framework, the rules governing trade in Northern Ireland. Moreover, much of the paperwork needed to transport agri-food products from Britain to Northern Ireland is also due to be removed.
The political reaction in Northern Ireland has been broadly positive. Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party have all welcomed it. The DUP has not embraced the deal, but it has not rejected it either. Not surprisingly, Jim Allister, the leader of the TUV, has said the agreement draws Northern Ireland closer to the EU’s orbit and undermines its position in the union.
In fact, Monday’s deal merely ensures a smoother functioning of the Windsor Framework, an agreement already in place. It provides some certainty for Northern Ireland for now, even if Reform threatens to tear up the latest UK/EU agreement if it is in power, as have the Conservatives. Despite the clear evidence that Brexit has cost the UK economy significantly, the UK opposition continue to cling to its merits.
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For Northern Ireland, the Windsor Framework enables dual access to the UK and EU markets for goods for Northern Irish businesses and thus provides the economy with a unique advantage. The terms of Monday’s deal help to underpin this in important respects and also to ease barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland. It thus deserves wide political support in Northern Ireland and a determination to get on and use the opportunities now on offer.
