Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA said:

“In handing down their findings the Court articulates many of the inconsistencies created by the Protocol.  The judgement today must give the UK Government pause for thought as negotiations continue.  They must work to undo the damage done by agreeing to the Protocol in 2019 and replace it with an agreement that restores Northern Ireland’s place within the UK Internal Market.

“While this is no longer a matter for the courts, the judgement today demonstrates that the concerns of Unionism about the Protocol and the damage it stands to do to Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom are legitimate.  These concerns cannot simply be shrugged at.  That the Supreme Court recognises that the Protocol suspends a part of the Act of Union should be a matter of considerable concern for all those who believe in our Union, whether they be in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales.

“We have been clear from the outset that the Protocol was unacceptable to Unionists.  We must have a say in our future.  It is not acceptable for those who were the architects of the Protocol to preside over negotiations with no input from those most affected.  If we are to find a way out of this mess, then it must be acknowledged by both the EU and the UK that trying to negotiate over the heads of Northern Ireland will simply not work and will only exacerbate an already fragile situation.”