Lord Frost, the former chief Brexit negotiator for the United Kingdom, has stated that the new deal with the EU will make the Northern Ireland Protocol easier to implement without altering its fundamentals. Lord Frost wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the government had “oversold” certain aspects of the deal, citing the extent to which it eliminates trade frictions between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as an example. Despite this, he concluded that this does not indicate that the transaction should not proceed, even if it is “a bitter pill to swallow.”
Former UK peace process negotiator Jonathan Powell has stated that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is justified in taking its time to evaluate the agreement, but “should not get lost in the weeds.” The alternative, according to him, would be “a dead end with no assembly at Stormont and permanent political instability” in Northern Ireland. He argues that the DUP would be “wise” to ultimately accept the deal, even if it does not deliver everything they desire.
In 2019, Lord Frost negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement, which comprised the original protocol. His remarks on the Windsor Framework come as the DUP evaluates the deal’s impact on Northern Ireland businesses and residents. Mr. Powell, who served as the chief British negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007, believes that it is a difficult decision for them to make, but one that they must ultimately accept.
Lord Frost expects that the new agreement will provide clarity and stability for Northern Ireland’s Brexit, economy, and citizens in the future, although its long-term effects are still unknown. As the DUP has yet to make a final decision, only time will tell if this is the case.
