it creates a trade border in the irish sea, by keeping northern ireland in the eu single market for goods, enforcing eu customs rules at the ports, to prevent a hardening of the land border. and unionists view it as a threat to their place in the united kingdom. that fear was blamed for trouble on the streets at easter. the uk has delayed introducing some food checks until october, a move the eu has gone to court over. technical talks continue. the new dup leader edwin poots claimed the northern ireland peace process was being damaged. i don't want to use a threat of violence in terms of this. 0ur arguments are very clear, they are very coherent. this is the european union seeking to punish the united kingdom and, as a consequence, northern ireland is being used as a plaything for the european union. i can assure you, northern ireland should be nobody�*s plaything. the eu commission vice president rejected that. i think we are working absolutely flat out to make sure