The European Union (EU) is under fire today after being accused of ‘betraying’ a key part of its Brexit deal in Northern Ireland.
Brexiteers have warned that a guarantee given to Rishi Sunak to admit Britain to the Horizon Europe science cooperation programme is now in doubt, with former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith telling Express.co.uk that the UK should set up its own science hub without involvement from Brussels.
The Prime Minister negotiated the Windsor Framework to make trade smoother between the two sides, and the agreement was seen as a stepping stone to further cooperation, including in the £82 billion Horizon Europe research scheme.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland voted against the protocol before it was adopted in March and highlighted concerns over the Stormont Brake, a mechanism allowing it to object to changes to EU rules in Northern Ireland.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson spoke in Parliament last week claiming there are still concerns about how the deal is working to remove trade barriers, with goods using different travel lanes depending on their destination.
He said: “The Prime Minister has stated that there will be free movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and we need to see that reflected in practical arrangements, which I have to say are not matched by what the EU are saying about the non-EU lane and its operation.”
Rishi Sunak said in February that the deal was necessary in order to remove any sense of a border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as reducing paperwork required for shipping goods.
But after the latest accusations of betrayal by the EU over the protocol, questions are growing over whether the deal still represents good value or whether Britain should pull out altogether.
What do you think? Should Britain quit the Northern Ireland Protocol and negotiate a better deal? Have your say in the comments section below.
