Guarded welcome for new deal from Border Communities Against Brexit

Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) has offered a guarded welcome to the new arrangement that hopes to end the Brexit dilemma facing the EU and the UK once and for all.

Brexit has had negative impacts on businesses and individuals in Donegal so any move in the right direction will be welcome.

The BCAB organisation has been an ever-present actor in terms of engineering local opposition to the Brexit effects along the border with Northern Ireland. It has held meetings and rallies along many parts of the Donegal border since it came into being in 2016

It is made up of a group of people from all sectors – business, community, farming - as well as individuals who have come together out of concern and who seeks to protect people who live close to the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland from the negative consequences of Brexit.

The deal, which has been called The Windsor Framework, was announced following a meeting on Monday between British prime minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who said there had been “a very constructive attitude from the very beginning to solve problems”. 

All involved must now wait and see if it is enough to satisfy the DUP and Tory Brexiteers.

So far no Tory MP has spoken out against the deal, but the DUP and Tory Brexiteers have insisted that they want to see the small print of the text before making a decision.

Several DUP MPs offered rumblings of discontent in the House of Commons yesterday evening during a two-hour debate on the matter but this was not entirely unexpected.

Other senior Tories praised Sunak, with David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, saying he had achieved a “spectacular negotiating success”. Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer said they would vote for the deal, as did the Scottish National Party.

PM Sunak has appealed to the Democratic Unionist Party and Conservative Eurosceptics to “seize the opportunity” of his Brexit deal, claiming that it represented a victory for the government.

The Windsor Framework has been welcomed by most parties in the Dáil so far.

Key points in the deal

One of the key points in the new deal is the so-called Stormont brake. It is one of the most significant concessions made by the EU and is a new mechanism that gives the UK an effective veto over new EU laws affecting Northern Ireland.

It will allow a group of 30 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly to submit a “petition of concern” over new regulations that it feels is not in their best interest. It would also need the support of the UK government and Brussels would need to be consulted. 

In relation to trade, there would be two lanes for goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Goods destined for Northern Ireland would go through the green lane, meaning that they would no longer face burdensome checks.

Goods sent onwards to the Republic of Ireland would go through the red lane, meaning they would have to undergo checks before crossing the Irish Sea. The deal would also make it easier to transport pets and plants between the UK and Northern Ireland. 

Border Communities Statement 

Border Communities Against Brexit issued a statement last night outlining its position following yesterday's announcement.

It said its objective from the inception of its campaign in 2016, was to ensure no hard border on the island of Ireland and give primacy to the Good Friday Agreement.

"This deal on the Protocol protects and enhances the all-island economy and protects the 40 million vehicles, with families, workers, and goods, that crisscross the border annually, as part of their normal life.

"The dual market access of this deal is also crucial; it gives us access to a market of 500 million people in the EU and unfettered access to the U.K. market.

"We hope our politicians can work earnestly to restore the Assembly and Executive, whilst working through the fine details of this document."