Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Robin Swann MLA, said that the UK Government will only address concerns over the backstop by seeking changes to the legal text of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Robin Swann MLA said:
“The document published by the UK Government is frankly insulting. Its only purpose seems to be to state what we already know, rather than going any way towards addressing the very real concerns we have repeatedly outlined to Government ministers and officials.
“If the UK Government’s key new point is that they will provide a consultation process for the Northern Ireland Assembly then I don’t hold out much hope, given they don’t seem to have listened to Northern Ireland parties during their current consultations. That’s before you consider that currently there are no attempts being made to restore the Executive and Assembly.
“The only way to address our concerns about the backstop will be to seek changes to the legal text. No amount of political assurances or explanatory notes will change the fact that there are fundamental problems with the backstop and the democratic deficit it will create.”