Negotiated protocol solution can carry support of all communities, says UK minister

Jonathan McCambridge, PA

A negotiated solution to issues caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol can carry the support of all communities in the North, Chris Heaton-Harris has said.

Britain's Northern Ireland secretary also reiterated that he intends to call an election if the North's powersharing Executive is not restored by October 28th.

The Executive collapsed earlier this year after DUP First Minister Paul Givan resigned in protest over the protocol.

The protocol was agreed by the EU and UK as part of the Withdrawal Agreement seeking to avoid a hard border between the North and the Republic.

The British government has introduced controversial legislation which would effectively allow ministers to override many aspects of the trading arrangement.

However, EU and UK officials are also due to meet later this week as part of the latest attempt to bring about a negotiated solution to the protocol impasse.

Current legislation states Mr Heaton-Harris must call an election on October 28th if powersharing institutions are not restored.

He told the BBC: “I am going to push that button.

“If there is no election, the executive is stumbling around in this stupor that it is now.

“It is really important to have an executive functioning.

“I think history tells us elections do change things in Northern Ireland.

“I am not going to pre-judge any election, but the primary legislation says that and I will call the election.

“I am not going to backtrack, this will be done.

“I exactly mean what I say and I will be calling an election on October 28th.”

Mr Heaton-Harris was speaking after a DUP minister warned that the political impasse over the protocol could lead to the “funeral of the Good Friday Agreement”.

Edwin Poots told RTÉ that his party would not return to Stormont until issues were resolved.

He said: “There will not be an assembly and there will not be institutions of the Good Friday Agreement whilst we have the protocol – the two things are incompatible.”

Mr Heaton-Harris responded: “I want to be in that position where we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement on April 10.

“I am talking to the unionist community as much as I am talking to anyone else.

“I fully intend to keep everybody appraised of where we are at all the way through this process.

“We are going to do our best to negotiate a solution.

“You have seen what we want to achieve in the legislation in the House. If negotiations break down, we have got the legislation going through.”

Mr Heaton-Harris insisted he believed a negotiated solution between the UK government and the EU was possible.

He said: “I genuinely think if we get to a negotiated solution where I think the landing zone is, if that comes about, it will work for all communities in Northern Ireland.

“I am convinced it will have the support of the DUP.

“If we get the negotiated solution that we are after, it will carry the support of all communities.”