Reacting to comments from US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, said:

“The latest comments from Nancy Pelosi are not just deeply regrettable and misinformed, but are completely wrong. The Protocol does not protect the Belfast Agreement, it does the exact opposite by undermining East-West relationships; an important strand of the Belfast Agreement. The Protocol is simply not working and the longer it continues, the more damage it will do.

“Nancy Pelosi`s comments will only lead to a hardening of positions rather than easing a pathway to solutions which is what all politicians should be concentrating on. Added to Simon Coveney`s comments this week saying that the peace process is under threat and now Leo Varadkar claiming that the Protocol is working, when it is plain for all to see that it is not, makes progress more difficult.

“There does not need to be any checks on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain which are staying here. It`s time to make that a reality rather than exacerbating the situation with ill-judged political jousting.

“Everybody is blaming the UK Government, of whom I have been critical in the past, but trust is a two-way street and all sides bear responsibility, including the Irish Government and EU.”