Stop the Trade War with Europe

We are still living with the hangover of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and the impact of their cataclysmic Brexit government posturing. 

Rishi Sunak now has a chance to make partial amends by agreeing a deal with the EU to preserve the Northern Ireland Protocol, make it work better for businesses in Northern Ireland and maintain Northern Ireland's frictionless access to the single market for goods. That would boost the economy in Northern Ireland and in the rest if the UK and head off the threat of a trade war that Johnson and Truss created. 

We hope that the current discussions with the EU mark a turning point and can deliver a closer relationship with Europe and a return to power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

But nothing has been achieved yet. Let's not forget that Rishi Sunak himself backed the divisive and illegal NI Protocol Bill introduced by Liz Truss to override the agreements Boris Johnson signed with the EU. In other words, Mr Sunak backed the UK breaking our solemn word and creating an unnecessary confrontation from which British people could only lose.

We hope the PM has now thought better. But European Research Group and DUP hawks are still circling. Will he have the courage to do the right thing and face them down?

As the Prime Minister continues negotiations with Northern Ireland leaders and the European Union we must do everything we can to make them heed the warnings about the damage scrapping post-Brexit trade arrangements would cause. These warnings include, but are not limited to:

• UK business chiefs have warned the government about the "horrific" economic impact
• Food industry CEOs have warned No 10 that tearing up the Protocol could lead to even more expensive food prices
• Further legal action against the UK by the EU

During a cost-of-living crisis, this government’s pandering to hard-line Brexiteers and the DUP has already made life harder for people up and down the country. We need to stop them making it harder still by demanding the PM stands up for what is right and for the UK honouring its word.  He must sign a negotiated agreement to end the crisis over the Protocol.

We call on Rishi Sunak to admit that ultimately the Good Friday Agreement and hard, confrontational Brexit are completely incompatible. We call on his government to stop the posturing that has led us to this point, which could lead to a trade war with Europe. To rethink their legislation on the Northern Ireland Protocol and put peace and prosperity before internal party politics. We call on the Prime Minister to do all he can in these negotiations to bring back power-sharing in Northern Ireland and put the UK back on the path of closer cooperation with our European neighbours.