Northern Ireland’s Stormont Assembly has voted by 42 to 35 MLAs to maintain Ulster’s special post-Brexit trading arrangements for another four years.
The vote has ensured Northern Ireland will continue to follow some EU laws to maintain an invisible border on the island of Ireland, despite Unionist opposition.
Democratic Unionist Party MLA Jonathan Buckley told MLAs: “What is today’s debate all about? Is it a genuine attempt to give members of the Northern Ireland Assembly a democratic say in the laws that govern them?
“Or, is it merely parliamentary parlour games, giving lip-service to the basic tenets of democratic consents?
‘Illusion of democracy!’ Unionists fume after ‘rigged vote’ sees Stormont extend hated Brexit trade agreement
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“Be under no illusion, today’s debate, today’s vote is an illusion of democracy. A rigged vote in which the European Union already know the outcome.”
The decision came after hours of what SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin described as “triggering” debate, with Unionist members voting against while Nationalist and the non-sectarian Alliance Party supporting the measures.
This marks the first major test of the Windsor Framework deal agreed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in February 2023.
The deal looked to address customs arrangements, movement of goods, VAT and excise duties, the single electricity market and state aid rules.
The framework was introduced following prolonged DUP opposition to checks on fresh farm produce being transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Under the current system, goods from Britain staying in Northern Ireland use a “green lane”, while those heading to the Republic of Ireland and the EU must go through a “red lane”.
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DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley suggested that the vote boiled down to “parliamentary parlour games”
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The arrangements also saw the lifting of bans on seed potatoes and 11 native British trees, as well as EU rules on pet movement between Northern Ireland and Britain.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly emphasised the DUP’s continued opposition, stating they would “continue to fight to fully restore Northern Ireland’s place within the UK” and remove EU law applications.
Justice Minister Naomi Long of the Alliance Party instead argued that Brexit should not remain a “constantly open wound” and supported retaining the arrangements to help Northern Ireland “move forward”.
SDLP leader Matthew O’Toole acknowledged imperfections but urged progress, saying: “There needs to be a focused effort on improving things.”
SDLP leader Matthew O’Toole acknowledged imperfections but urged progress, saying: “There needs to be a focused effort on improving things”
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Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist Party MLA Steve Aiken called for unity against the framework, while Buckley dismissed the vote as “an illusion of democracy”.
The EU has made clear that broader UK relations depend on full implementation of the Windsor Framework, including permanent border control posts.
The framework has been described in official documents as “a compromise to meet the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland” post-Brexit.
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has endorsed the Windsor Framework as the only viable path to stability in Northern Ireland.
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