The Ulster Unionist Party Leader Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has called for the Northern Ireland Executive to be given the same rights to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol as both the EU and Westminster have.

Steve Aiken said:

“Given the scale of what is unfolding before us, it is clear that the Northern Ireland Protocol is not working and is incapable of delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

“As things currently stand, both the EU and Westminster have equal rights to trigger Article 16. It is perfectly clear that the application of the Protocol is leading to ‘serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist’ and therefore ‘appropriate safeguard measures’ are now required.

“The Northern Ireland Executive should now be given equal rights to trigger Article 16 as both the EU and Westminster have.

“It is very clear that neither the EU nor Michael Gove have acted quickly enough to deal with the growing trade debacle hitting Northern Ireland – the sight of empty supermarket shelves and lorries being turned back from ports demonstrate very starkly that these new arrangements are not working and cannot be allowed to continue for a day longer.

“We can no longer sit back and allow others to make decisions. We must have a say in our own economy and food security. The UK Single market served all the people of Northern Ireland well, no matter their religious affiliation or political opinion. It certainly ensured that our supermarket shelves were full.

“Now, thanks to the Protocol, not only do we not have the ‘unfettered access’ we were promised, we are now faced with an internal border in the Irish Sea which is not merely some abstract political notion, but which is disrupting our food supplies. This debacle affects the lives of everyone who lives here and must be resolved immediately.”