what do you think it means for northern ireland? well, it means maybe stormont will get back together and maybe it won t. i mean, this is what we ve been living with for years now, dysfunctional politicians and dysfunctional systems. the immediate challenge for northern ireland is to heal the divisions caused by the brexit arrangements. the anger over a new border down the irish sea, which split the unionist vote. this place is under the jackboot of the eu, and we have been effectively held hostage in an economic united ireland. goods carried over the irish sea on ferries from britain, on ferries from britain undergo new checks when they reach these shores. undergo new checks when they reach these shores, which is perceived by some unionists as severing northern ireland s place in the uk and is disrupting the functions of many businesses. attempts to make the arrangement simpler has put the uk government at loggerheads with the eu. the eu has shown no flexibility |and it s very disappo
the new checks on goods crossing the irish sea were part of the brexit deal that the uk government signed up to to avoid the need for checks on goods which travel into the irish republic. for unionists, who view this as effectively severing northern ireland s place in the uk, they have been a source of much contention. but it s an arrangement which is supported by other parties in northern ireland. the government in dublin says ordering the checks to stop goes against an international treaty. the protocol is part of an international agreement. it was agreed and ratified by the uk and the eu, and so to deliberately frustrate obligations under that treaty, i think, would be a very serious matter indeed. i think it s essentially playing politics with legal obligations. what is not clear to me is how civil servants,
britain have had to undergo new checks when they reach northern ireland s ports. tonight, the dup department responsible for operating these checks has ordered civil servants to stop carrying them out. i have now issued a formal instruction to my permanent secretary to halt all checks that were not in place on the 31st of december 2020 from midnight tonight. i will prepare a paper for executive consideration in the nearfuture i will prepare a paper for executive consideration in the near future to seek a way forward. thank you. the new checks seek a way forward. thank you. the new checks on seek a way forward. thank you. the new checks on goods crossing the irish sea were part of the brexit deal that the uk government signed up deal that the uk government signed up to to avoid the need for checks on goods which travel into the irish republic. for unionists, who view this as effectively severing northern ireland s place in the uk, they have been a source of much contention. but it s
responsible for operating these checks has ordered civil servants to stop carrying them out. i have now issued a formal instruction to my permanent secretary to halt all checks that were not in place on 31 december, 2020 from midnight tonight. i will prepare a paper for executive consideration in the near future to seek a way forward. thank you. the new checks on goods crossing the irish sea were part of the brexit deal that the uk government signed up to to avoid the need for checks on goods which travel into the irish republic. for unionists, who view this as effectively severing northern ireland s place in the uk, they have been a source of much contention. but it s an arrangement which is supported by other parties in northern ireland. the government in dublin says ordering the checks to stop goes against an international treaty.
the need for checks on goods that travel into the irish republic. for unionists who view this as effectively severing northern ireland s place in the uk, it has been a source of much contention. but it is an arrangement that is supported by other parties in northern ireland. the government in dublin says ordering the checks to stop goes against an international treaty. the protocol is part of an international agreement. it was agreed and ratified by the uk and the eu and so to deliberately frustrate obligations under that treaty, i think, would be a very serious matter indeed. i think it is essentially playing politics with legal obligations. there are conflicting views in the northern ireland government over whether this order is lawful, and it remains to be seen how civil servants, who are responsible for carrying out these checks, will react. other parties at stormont have