BANGERs & SMASHED IT
Rishi Sunak hails new Northern Ireland Brexit deal & puts an end to ‘sausage wars’
RISHI Sunak last night declared his new Brexit deal “takes back control” as Brussels finally climbed down on Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister and EU boss Ursula von der Leyen agreed on the historic to end the so-called “sausage wars” that saw two years of border chaos over goods and trade.
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EU red tape that hampered meats, sarnies, parcels and even seed potatoes being exported from mainland Britain have been abolished in a major win for the UK.
Ministers hailed the remarkable feat of ripping up the Northern Ireland Protocol — but Unionists and hardline Tory Brexiteers were last night poring over the small print before passing judgement.
Mr Sunak claims his new accord freed the province from 1,700 pages of Brussels diktats and gives the Northern Ireland Assembly a veto over future EU laws.
Goods will freely flow into the province from the mainland unrestricted, with Northern Ireland brought back under Westminster’s tax and VAT regime.
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The PM insisted less that three per cent of EU law now applied and only targeted any goods and products destined for sale in the EU’s Single Market via the Republic of Ireland.
Green and red lanes will be set up at Northern Irish ports, with just a simple declaration needed for green lane goods.
The new accord significantly re-writes the 2020 divorce agreement signed by ex-PM Boris Johnson, with Brussels insisting it marked a “new chapter” in our relationship.
Mr Sunak told MPs last night his deal “does what many said cannot be done — making legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement itself”.
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And he said he had finally convinced the EU “to do what it spent years refusing to do” in making changes to the UK’s exit terms.
Last night Boris Johnson and the DUP were keeping their powder dry and could yet try to sink the deal.
But it was hailed as a major success by many Brexiteers.
Brexiteer David Davis hailed the “spectacular negotiating success” as any rebellion in the Commons began to melt away.
Fellow European Research Group hardliner Steve Baker — now Northern Ireland Minister — said the deal was a “win-win solution for all sides”, as he admitted he considered quitting over it as late as Sunday night.
He urged Tory sceptics to “back it and move on”.
After speaking with the DUP earlier, he said he was hopeful that “pragmatic unionists” would “be able to back this as I have, with a whole heart”.
And the SNP and Labour insisted they would back the agreement when it comes to a vote.
The deal was clinched on Monday afternoon following face-to- face talks between the PM and von der Leyen in a Berkshire hotel.
Standing beside the PM at Windsor Guildhall, the Eurocrat even called him “Dear Rishi” — in contrast to the strained relationship she had with ex-PM Mr Johnson.
Mr Sunak said the deal “delivers smooth-flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom, protects Northern Ireland’s place in our union and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland”.
He hailed a “decisive breakthrough”, unveiling the new “Stormont Brake” that will allow the UK to thwart new EU laws if they are not backed by all communities in Northern Ireland.
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Just 30 members of the Assembly can trigger the protest mechanism.
Both sides also say the agreement proposes to create a free-flowing trade of goods by creating green lanes without any red tape or checks.
All goods destined for the EU will use a red lane.
The same VAT, food, drink and medicines rules will now apply in Northern Ireland as the rest of the UK as part of the new pact.
Pets will also be allowed to travel freely with their owners across the whole of the UK without expensive health treatments like rabies jabs or vet documents.
Bureaucratic checks on banned plants such as English oak trees and seed potatoes are also ditched.
Mr Sunak, who hopes the framework will re-establish power-sharing at Stormont, said: “Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties. But really, it’s about much more.
“It’s about stability in Northern Ireland.
“It’s about real people and real businesses.
“It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.”
Mr Sunak said Westminster MPs will have a vote on the deal and any decision would be “respected”.
It also emerged the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which allowed post-Brexit rules to be unilaterally overridden, will be ditched.
But the PM admitted its threat had helped to bring Brussels to the negotiation table.
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Last night, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson refused to back the deal.
He said would have intensive discussions with colleagues before making a decision, but conceded “significant progress” was made.
The Windsor framework at a glance
Trade
RED tape will be cut on goods and parcels passing from GB to Northern Ireland via a new “green lane”, while items destined for the Irish Republic inside the EU will go in a “red lane”.
Chilled meats like sausages, which were banned under the old protocol, can move freely like other products.
Plant ban lifted
PREVIOUSLY banned popular plants like English oak trees and seed potatoes will once again be widely available to be sold in Northern Ireland without hugely burdensome checks.
This will be by using a similar Plant Passport scheme that already exists in GB.
Stormont brake
NORTHERN Ireland can ignore any new EU law if 30 Assembly Members from at least two parties disagree.
Only the PM can then intervene to veto this “Stormont Brake”.
But it requires the currently-collapsed Assembly at Stormont to be restored, and the EU could take action if used too often.
Euro judges
THE role of the European Court of Justice is significantly reduced as its oversight of issues like medicines and food safety are removed.
The government says that the deal scraps 1,700 pieces of EU law meaning that fewer than three per cent of Brussels rules will apply.
VAT, tax, state aid
NORTHERN Ireland will apply UK changes to VAT and excise duties, meaning there will be cheaper pints for punters thanks to Mr Sunak’s alcohol reforms.
State aid subsidies like the energy package help will also now apply there too — which are set in Westminster.
Pets
PETS can also now travel freely with their owners across the UK, without expensive health treatments like rabies or documentation paperwork from a vet being required.
Pet owners in Northern Ireland won’t have to do a thing when it comes to travelling over to GB.
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