After two years of negotiations, the UK and the European Union have finally reached an agreement on the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. And this is a major breakthrough in the standoff between the British and Brussels. Quite an achievement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “It’s not quite done yet, because the question is obviously whether Boris Johnson is on board,” says former correspondent Peter de Waard.
For two years, the Northern Ireland Protocol was the hot potato in British-European relations. In accordance with this protocol concluded by Boris Johnson, Northern Ireland nevertheless remained part of the United Kingdom, so that no border, let alone a hard border, could exist in the Irish Sea. And this has led to a huge impasse, because according to the Good Friday Agreement there can be no border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This agreement ended Northern Ireland’s decade-long civil war.
“It’s not quite done yet, because the question is obviously whether Boris Johnson is OK with it”
Green path, red path
As a result, the EU customs union was a “loss” and goods could enter the EU from the UK. Sunak has found the solution for this. “It actually has two different paths,” says former British correspondent Peter de Waard. “The idea is that there will be a green and a red path.”
The green route includes all goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. They get a special label whereby they stay in Northern Ireland only. The red route are goods that go to the EU via Northern Ireland, they also receive a separate label. And for those goods, the EU has the right to monitor these labels. “So that means the EU is still interfering with Britain.”
No deal done
According to De Waard, everyone is extremely enthusiastic and Sunaks’ finest hour is already being talked about. “But it’s not quite done yet, because the question is obviously whether Boris Johnson is OK with it.” Brexiteer Johnson has a large following in the Commons and is staunchly against the proposal, and it’s also highly questionable what all Northern Irish people think about it.
“If it works, then he did it very well”
The Protestant DUP party in particular can sometimes become unruly, DUP politicians said they would study the plan in detail. So Sunak’s loot is far from inside. “But if it works, then he’s done it very well. And that obviously means a big boost for him.’ The agreement is aptly named the Windsor Framework because King Charles also played a role in its creation. At Windsor Castle, of course.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
