UK must make existing trade rules work in order to secure better EU deal – PM

Sir Keir Starmer restated his desire to improve relations with Brussels.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer addresses the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast, following a meeting with party leaders

The UK will only be able to secure a “better deal” with the EU if it can demonstrate a willingness to operate the existing trade agreement for Northern Ireland, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

On a visit to Stormont, where the outworking of existing trading arrangements has been the source of major political instability, the Prime Minister was pressed on his stated intention to strengthen ties with Brussels.

The devolved institutions at Stormont were in cold storage for two years after the DUP exercised a veto power to collapse the governance structures in protest at the economic and legal barriers created between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as the result of Brexit.

A lorry passes under a sign which says 'Welcome to the Port of Belfast' — Brexit rules require additional checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Northern Ireland Protocol that Boris Johnson struck with the EU, and its successor, the Windsor Framework, which Rishi Sunak negotiated with Brussels, both involve a requirement for checks and additional red tape on the movement of goods from Great Britain into the region.

Under those accords, Northern Ireland effectively aligns with many EU rules and regulations in order to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the five main Stormont parties in Belfast on Monday morning, the Prime Minister was asked whether his ultimate objective was to secure a trade deal that saw the whole of the UK interacting with the EU on the same basis, without any divergence for Northern Ireland.

“You are right to say we want to improve relations with the EU,” he replied.

“We think we can get a better deal than the botched deal that Boris Johnson brought home and we will work on that, understanding the work that needs to be done and the nature of the challenge.

“In the meantime we do have to get on with implementing the important changes that are necessary under the existing arrangements we have got because we are not going to be able to get a better relationship unless we demonstrate a commitment to the relationship and the agreements that have already been put in place.”