‘Good deal for NI after Brexit is the goal’

Commenting on recent Brexit events in the past number of weeks, Diane Dodds said: “There is no doubt people are suffering from Brexit fatigue but achieving a good deal for Northern Ireland must remain the goal.

“For our part in the DUP we have been clear throughout this process, the UK must leave as one nation and there must be no new checks down the Irish Sea. Even in the circumstances which we face the DUP will continue to fight to deliver a good deal for Northern Ireland.

“However, for all the bluster of the Prime Minister during his negotiations with Brussels, it appears he crumbled at what he thought was the eleventh hour. The Prime Minister moved from the stated aims of his own letter on October 2 to a position of distancing Northern Ireland from its largest market economically and thus threatening the place of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.

“Boris now offers Northern Ireland the worst deal possible, and although the multiple spins or untruths told about it may look appealing to some, the truth remains that it is unacceptable.

“Whilst many within business, representative groups and indeed some political parties tried to reassure us that our concerns about a border in the Irish Sea were not founded and that the commitment of “unfettered access” to Great Britain was a given - the DUP pushed back and many column inches were dedicated to why we were wrong.

“However, given that many assumed trade within the UK secure, they set about prioritising North - South trade and reinforced this desire by adamantly supporting the “backstop”. Ultimately this legitimised the EU, ROI and the Government to argue for the so called solution which we now have on the table. They disregarded the fact that Northern Irish exports to GB are worth three times more than what we export to ROI.

“Considering that the Prime Minister’s deal becomes less appealing the more you scrutinise it, it is perhaps for that very reason why the Prime Minister has attempted to hinder any further attempts to scrutinise the bill thoroughly,” she concluded.