Speaking in response to The Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 being laid before Parliament yesterday, Ulster Unionist Finance Spokesperson and member of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee, Dr. Steve Aiken OBE MLA commented.

“The legislation laid in the House of Commons yesterday, hailed by some in the DUP as a win for Northern Ireland, is a shocking abdication of responsibility. It removes the ability for local Ministers, MLA’s and Departments to have oversight or scrutiny on a range of issues, passing powers to the Westminster Government to apply as they wish.

“I do not see this as a win for Northern Ireland or for Unionism, I see this as a situation akin to giving up your car to sit on a bus driven by someone who will neither tell you where they are going or ask you where you want to travel to.

“This is only the latest in the attempt to hoodwink the people of Northern Ireland that anything was gained during the last two years of political collapse.

“The Windsor Framework, under the heading ‘To restore the smooth flow of trade within the UK internal market’ clearly states that only intelligence led checks, such as to prevent smuggling or other criminality, will be carried out on internal UK trade. That will account for no checks on 95% of goods moving within the UK internal market.

“The Safeguarding the Union paper says, in paragraph 96, that the UK Government will direct DAERA to eliminate physical checks on good within the internal Market except risk based or intelligence led checks in respect smuggling or disease risks. This will account for roughly no checks on 95% of goods moving within the UK internal market.

“This is the same sleight-of-hand offered in regard to ‘there is no Irish Sea Border’ when clearly there is.  

“The government have laid regulations in Westminster, taking effect next month, which do not only attempt to repackage what was agreed in the Windsor Framework as something new, but to reduce Stormonts’ ability to govern Northern Ireland. This has been done solely to allow those who collapsed the institutions to claim that ‘they’ are not administering a border in the Irish sea.”