Jeffrey Donaldson tells Rishi Sunak: 'Rewrite' the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and Protocol

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Jeffrey Donaldson has again called for the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and Protocol to be ‘rewritten’ to address ‘constitutional and democratic issues’ unionists complain have arisen from the deal.

The DUP leader said ‘tweaking’ the Brexit agreement between the British Government and the European Union that was settled in late 2019 would not satisfy his party’s demands.

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Speaking in the British House of Commons he said: “It is unacceptable that Northern Ireland has been put in this place with a Protocol imposed upon us that harms our place in the United Kingdom. It must be replaced with arrangements that are acceptable and restore our place in the United Kingdom and its internal market.

“Does the Prime Minister accept how important the constitutional and democratic issues are in relation to getting a solution?

Jeffrey DonaldsonJeffrey Donaldson
Jeffrey Donaldson

“Will he agree with me that it is unacceptable that EU laws are imposed in NI with no democratic scrutiny and consent and will he assure me that he will address these fundamental constitutional issues and do so, not just by tweaking the Protocol but by rewriting the legally binding treaty text?”

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Responding, the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, stated: “I have heard loud and clear when he says he wants and needs these issues resolved so that he has a basis to work with others to restore power-sharing and I know that that is genuine.

"He raised the issue of practical issues and it is vital that these are addressed but he also raises a vital question about the constitutional and legal framework in which these arrangements exist and I can assure him that I agree, addressing the democratic deficit is an essential part of the negotiations that remain ongoing with the EU and just as he has been consistent so have I and I can assure him that this is at the very heart of the issues that must be addressed.”

Talks between the British Government and the European Commission are continuing in an attempt to resolve issues relating to the Brexit Protocol that have led to the DUP boycotting the Stormont Assembly for over a year.