DUP planning to present amendments to the Withdrawal Agreement
East Antrim MP, Sammy Wilson, has confirmed that the DUP with propose amendments to Boris Johnson’s Internal Market Bill.
Mr Wilson believes that the bill is, “far from perfect, [but] it is a massive step forward for businesses in Northern Ireland”.
He also criticised comments made by former Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Sir John Major. They wrote in the Sunday Times that the bill, “puts the Good Friday Agreement at risk”.
Blair and Major
The former Prime Ministers came together to condemn the current PM’s Brexit plan. They believe that the outcome of the bill could negatively affect trade, the union and the peace process.
They wrote, “This has wide-ranging ramifications. It will not only make negotiation with the EU more difficult, but also any trade negotiations with other nations, including the United States. Once trust is undermined, distrust becomes prevalent. …. We both opposed Brexit. We both accept it is now happening. But this way of negotiating, with reason cast aside in pursuit of ideology and cavalier bombast posing as serious diplomacy, is irresponsible, wrong in principle and dangerous in practice. …. It raises questions that go far beyond the impact on Ireland, the peace process and negotiations for a trade deal – crucial though they are. It questions the very integrity of our nation.”
Mr Wilson responded to the comments in the article by saying, “The Internal Market Bill is far from perfect and that’s why we will table amendments to the Bill. The suggestion by the hero of the peace process brigade that the Bill rips apart the Belfast Agreement is complete and utter bunkum without any factual basis.”
His criticism was supported by other members of the DUP and by TUV leader Jim Allister.
“Legal Action”
The European Commission has given the UK until the end of the month to change the legislation that would allow ministers to change parts of the Withdrawal Agreement that relate to Northern Ireland.
They warned that Johnson was putting trade talks at risk by their actions and that they would not hesitate to take “legal action” to prevent it.
