Jim Allister: TUV’s sea border bill to be debated

The bill has been co-sponsored by all of Northern Ireland’s unionist MPs alongside the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, Labour’s Graham Stringer, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage and Richard Tice.

Allister said that his bill addresses “the absurdity of parts of our country having different democratic rights compared to others”.

“The 1.9 million people who live in Northern Ireland are covered by 300 areas of law that are the remit of the European Union,” he said.

“This means that for the first time, people of this country have had their democratic rights removed, as they have no influence on law that applies to them.”

Allister believes the European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill, external will create “a system of mutual enforcement” ensuring no physical customs barriers are required.

“We will set the stage for possible trade deals with the US, which under the current situation will be almost impossible, given the subjection of part of the UK to EU law and control.

“The USA will want certainty in any trade deal with the UK, and that requires the closing of the back door into the EU which the present Windsor Framework creates,” the North Antrim MP added.