Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has stated that it is perfectly reasonable that goods from Great Britain destined to stay in Northern Ireland should not be subject to checks.

Doug Beattie said:

“The comments from Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in the Sunday Telegraph outline a way forward in dealing with trade issues with the EU. It is perfectly reasonable that goods from Great Britain which are destined to stay in Northern Ireland should not be subject to checks and those goods destined for the EU market can be checked at our ports. We have already recommended legislation to make this workable as far back as 2019.

“It would go a long way to easing a difficult situation and should form the basis for constructive talks with Maroš Šefčovič this coming week. Multiple engagements with businesses and business representative bodies see this as a pragmatic and sensible solution. Common sense is needed to de-escalate this issue.

“Further engagement and negotiations are the way forward. We do not need threats to pull down the Stormont institutions in the middle of a pandemic, but instead we need sensible, clear thinking. 

“Constructive engagement will always work better than megaphone diplomacy.”