Member

It is worth asking: why are there double standards? Why is there a different approach? It must be entirely political, because there are perfectly practical answers as to how these checks can be done as the Government are proposing in this statutory instrument and, indeed, is allowed for by the European Union regulations. The same practice, the same approach, could be adopted in both directions. These regulations expose the bogus nature of the arguments for checks and procedures at ports in Northern Ireland for goods being moved from Great Britain. If it can be done for goods going west to east, it can be done this way for goods going north/south between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and vice versa. People say this is all the result of Brexit; no, it is the result of the way in which Brexit has been done by putting an international customs border down the middle of our country instead of where it should be and managing it as set out in these regulations. That should have been the approach from day one.