London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Apr 26, 2025

Factbox: What is the Stormont Brake?

Factbox: What is the Stormont Brake?

The British government will be able to stop the application of new EU laws on goods in Northern Ireland if requested by a third of lawmakers in Northern Ireland's regional assembly, but only "in the most exceptional circumstances", the EU and Britain agreed on Monday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes the so-called 'Stormont brake' can help win support from pro-British politicians in the region and some members of his own Conservative Party for a wider deal to overhaul post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.

Following are some details about the measure:


HOW DOES IT WORK?


In a British government document setting out details of the deal, London said the mechanism gives it an "unequivocal veto" on EU rules when 30 members of Northern Ireland's devolved government from two or more parties object.

"Once the UK notifies the EU that the brake has been triggered, the rule in question is suspended automatically from coming into effect," the document published on the British government website said.

"It can then only be subsequently applied in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU both agree to that jointly in the (UK-EU) Joint Committee," the document said, referring to the main forum for UK–EU consultation on Britain's withdrawal agreement.

"This would give the UK an unequivocal veto - enabling the rule to be permanently disapplied - within the Joint Committee."

London added that the new mechanism is not subject to European Court of Justice oversight, and that any dispute would be resolved through subsequent independent arbitration according to international and not EU law.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party, would have to end a year-long boycott of the regional assembly, which it started in protest at the post-Brexit rules, for the 'Stormont brake' to become a reality.

After winning 25 seats at elections last year, the DUP would need the support of five more politicians to try to trigger the brake. There are 12 other pro-British unionist politicians in the assembly now.


"MATTER OF LAST RESORT"


A separate unilateral declaration made by the UK government sets out how the mechanism would be triggered "under the most exceptional circumstances and as a matter of last resort".

Objecting local politicians would have to provide a detailed and publicly available written explanation that they have used every other available mechanism and that they had sought prior substantive discussion with the UK government and within the Northern Ireland power-sharing government.

The politicians would also have to have taken steps to consult businesses, other traders and civic society affected by the new or amended law.

If the UK accepts these conditions have been met, it would commence intensive consultations at the joint committee. In a document published on its website, the European Commission said an arbitration panel may rule on whether the conditions have been met.

It added that if the parties cannot agree either to add an amended or replacing law or to other measures, the EU can take appropriate remedial measures. This would be because of a divergence in trade rules between Northern Ireland and Ireland - and thus the broader EU, London noted.

The Commission also said the brake can only be triggered if the relevant law significantly differs in scope or content from the previous one and would have a significant impact on the everyday life of communities in Northern Ireland.

London said it cannot be "available for trivial reasons", while Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told a news conference that there were "clear and strict rules" on its operation.

"The bar is set quite high," said Katy Hayward, professor of political sociology at Queen's University Belfast who has written extensively about the trade rules.

"Most of the amendments and replacements of the law are very anodyne and wouldn't really be noticed by most people. You wouldn't see it as something that would be a regular occurrence."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Alberta's Push for Independence Raises Questions About Canada's National Unity
Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies by suicide
"China has survived for five thousand years, most of it without the United States as a market, and it can easily continue to survive without the U.S. market for another five thousand years — no problem," said a China analyst.
Elites vs. America: How Democrats Lost the Plot and the People
Pam Bondi Details Wisconsin Judge’s Actions Before Arrest: 'Can't Make This Up'
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Peter Navarro: The Man Behind Trump’s Tariff Madness
Milwaukee Judge Arrested on Allegations of Aiding Undocumented Immigrant’s Escape
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
×