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The first recommendations to the government from Intertrade UK about the impact of the Windsor Framework were made this week, and serve as a reminder about the huge challenges the deal poses to Northern Ireland business. The body, chaired by former First Minster Arlene Foster, has issued the latest in a series of warnings about the impact of the arrangements on the province. It warns of the additional cost to businesses in an already difficult economic environment – and of the impact on consumers, who have seen choice their choice reduced on shop shelves and online. It has set out a number of practical proposals which it says would have assist businesses navigate the labyrinthine rules. These, Intertrade UK says, would help deal with the costs and complexity of trading within the UK. The body is restricted in what recommendations it can make, given the terms of reference set out by the government. However, it did call for the promotion of what supporters of the Windsor Framework call ‘dual market access’ – despite acknowledging that was outside its remit. All of the unionist parties have criticised the concept, pointing to the disruption to the internal UK market – and the effect that has on companies’ existing supply chains from Great Britain – undermines that idea. Now that it has made recommendations beyond its strict remit, it should look also at the more fundamental issues affecting business – namely the fact that the protocol is not working. The reach of EU law in NI must be dealt with, today we report on how even Poppy-sellers are caught up in its cumbersome and unnecessary bureaucracy. More huge changes are on the way, and the government’s ‘faithful implementation’ approach only adds to the challenges.
