The Prime Minister has announced the agreement of the new Windsor Framework with the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
This replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, dealing with the issues it has created and providing a legal and constitutional framework for Northern Ireland that both upholds the Good Friday Agreement and respects Northern Ireland’s place in the union. The Framework safeguards Northern Ireland’s sovereignty and fixes the previous democratic deficit by putting the people of Northern Ireland back in charge of its governance.
Key parts of the Framework include:
- A fundamental rewriting the Treaty with a new ‘Stormont Brake’ that allows the UK to veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland
- New green lane delivering free-flowing trade in goods and removing any sense of a “border” in Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland to benefit from same VAT, food and drink and medicines as the rest of the UK
- Free movement of pets and plants without the bureaucratic checks and costly certification under the old Protocol
The Framework represents a new way forward for a prosperous, stable future in Northern Ireland, rewriting the Treaty to fix the practical problems for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, as well as restoring active democratic consent for the laws that govern it.
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