MALVERN’S MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed a new deal which will help local businesses to re-open trading links into Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the detail of the Windsor Framework which will fix the Northern Ireland Protocol which had made it difficult for businesses to trade fully with the whole of the United Kingdom.
Mr Sunak appears to have convinced the majority of Conservative MPs to back his deal with Labour having also said it will vote for the deal, guaranteeing it will become law.
But the Democratic Unionist Party, whose support is vital to restore power-sharing government to Northern Ireland, have yet to give their backing.
Several West Worcestershire businesses have shared concerns with the MP about the difficulty trading with Northern Ireland and Mrs Baldwin welcomed the agreement which will deliver free-flowing trade by removing the border in the Irish Sea.
A new ‘Green Lane’ will be introduced for goods travelling into Northern Ireland although some checks will remain in place to prevent crime.
She said: “The Prime Minister has done a great job to get this deal in place and it is clear to me that his focus delivered greater concessions from the European Union than his predecessors achieved.
“I’ve met businesses, especially our world-class horticultural specialists, who have not been able to trade with Northern Ireland because of the old protocol so I hope that this will open up the market again for them and other local businesses who may have been missing out.
“With the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement looming, I am pleased that all parties have come together to deliver an important resolution to a vexing issue and hopefully this will now trigger the full return of the Northern Ireland assembly and democratic representation.”
