A leading Brexiteer has urged politicians to resist Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal.
Ben Habib’s comments come after Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said fears over the practical impact of the Windsor Framework have not materialised.
She added that the concerns cannot be used to justify not restoring Stormont.
But former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib insisted the agreement on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland was not working.
He told the Express: “This was only to be expected. A light touch initial application of the protocol to embed the Irish Sea border and get people used to it.
“The green lanes do not work. To use a green lane every shipment requires the entry of 21 separate items of information. And they must be transported in sealed containers to ensure no cross-contamination from goods not properly documented.
“It simply is not cost-effective for smaller ‘exporters’ based in GB. Many have already given up on Northern Ireland.
“Instead, Northern Ireland is already increasingly sourcing goods from the Republic. This diversion of trade is what the protocol is designed to achieve.
“By diverting trade away from Great Britain, the Republic will economically capture Northern Ireland.
“Once that is achieved, its constitutional and political capture will be straightforward.
“The DUP must not weaken in its resolve not to restore Stormont. Indeed, what we must all now recognise is that devolution itself has undermined the fabric of our country. Far from restoring Stormont, it should be dissolved.”
Powersharing in Northern Ireland collapsed over 18 months ago as part of a DUP protest at the internal UK trade barriers created by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The party says the Windsor Framework deal struck by the EU and UK to reform the protocol does not sufficiently address its concerns.
The DUP has made it clear it will not accept a return to devolution until the Government provides further assurances, by way of legislation, over Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.
One of the main parts of the framework – the green/red lane system for the movement of goods – became operational at Northern Ireland ports earlier this month.
