London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Windsor Framework: Stormont brake to be focus of Heaton-Harris talks

Windsor Framework: Stormont brake to be focus of Heaton-Harris talks

Chris Heaton-Harris is to hold talks with political parties this week over the Stormont brake element of new post-Brexit arrangements.

The Northern Ireland secretary said it would act as a veto if EU law would affect Northern Ireland "in a significant way".

It aims to give the NI Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to Northern Ireland.

He said the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)had asked for clarifications.

The DUP is boycotting Northern Ireland's devolved government at Stormont until its concerns about post-Brexit trading arrangements are addressed.

Its leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he wanted to see "less of the oversell and more of the reality" from the government.

"We need to hear from the government, particularly from the prime minister, on the reality of what all of this means," he told GB News.

The DUP has not yet said whether it will support the new post-Brexit arrangements known as the Windsor Framework.

The framework was signed to alter Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol, and it was announced last week after months of talks.

It will mean goods moving from Great Britain which are staying in Northern Ireland would use a "green lane" at Northern Ireland ports, meaning they should face minimal paperwork and no routine physical checks.

Goods which are due to travel into the Republic of Ireland would use a "red lane", meaning they face customs processes and other checks.

The brake would allow the assembly to raise an objection to a new goods rule.

Mr Heaton-Harris was asked on Sophy Ridge On Sunday on Sky News if the Stormont brake was a delaying mechanism or veto.

"It's a veto", he said.

"If it's going to affect Northern Ireland in a significant way we would veto EU law," he said.

"You can't be using a veto trivially but I don't actually think the Northern Ireland Assembly would be using that trivially".


'No renegotiation'


He said he thought that Northern Ireland businesses will still be able to participate in future UK trade deals.

"We are now left with with about 3% of what was existing EU laws are going to be in place after this gets adopted," he said.

"That is the bare minimum required to allow Northern Ireland businesses the access they have to the European single market at this point."

On Friday, the secretary of state said he would bring forward legal reassurances that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom.

He also said the deal could not be re-negotiated.

Mr Heaton-Harris has previously said the Stormont Brake would likely operate like the current petition of concern in the NI Assembly.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said she cautiously welcomed the Windsor Framework and urged the DUP to return to the Stormont executive adding that "leadership" was needed from the party.

"They decided to walk away from the executive in order to influence the negotiation, but the negotiation is now complete," she told Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

"So, there's no reason for them to stay outside of the executive. They should be back round that executive table, taking on the matters of the day."

Michelle O'Neill said she shared concerns with other political leaders about the Stormont Brake


Ms O'Neill said she shared concerns with other political leaders about the Stormont Brake.

"I certainly don't want any deal to replace a problem with a problem," she said.

"But these are things we can do whilst also being in the executive," she added.

Alliance leader Naomi Long said it was right that Stormont should have a say over the laws that operate in Northern Ireland.

"But the bar has to be high, Rishi Sunak said it has to be exceptional and it also has to be infrequently used," she told the Sunday Politics programme.

"If that's going to work, it's going to need to be defined clearly in legislation what the threshold is."

"And it needs to be able to stand up to judicial review," she added.

Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Colum Eastwood described the Stormont brake as "pointless".

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist Party assembly member Mike Nesbitt said: "If the DUP reject this proposal, or this framework, I really don't know what the next step is because you always need an alternative and I haven't heard anyone articulate an alternative".


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×