Unionist Voice Policy Studies has produced a new report entitled ‘Standing Firm’. You can download the report now.
UVPS Standing Firm Report 21 Nov 23
The Executive summary cotains the following key issues:
- Unionist leaders have recognised via the Ulster Day 2021 declaration and repeated comments that the Acts of Union must be restored. This means restoring the subjugated provisions to their pre-Protocol status, and- going forward- ensuring interpretative supremacy of the Acts of Union. This must mean disapplying section 7A of the EUWA 2018.
- The restoration of the Acts of Union requires both an end to the application of EU law for goods remaining within the UK internal market or going to a non-EU country, and a removal of the Irish Sea customs border which has both a hard (red lane) and soft (green lane) manifestation. However, both represent an Irish Sea border.
- There is no available subjective interpretation or creation of ‘rights’ to be drawn from Article 6 of the Acts of Union, rather the fundamental rights are enshrined within the text of Article 6 itself and therefore nothing less than the full restoration of that statutory provision will achieve the core unionist objective of restoring our foundational constitutional statute.
- The necessary solutions requires removing the offensive provisions of the Protocol, and fundamental change to the Windsor Framework. If there isn’t a willingness to engage with this reality on the part of the Government, then there is nothing to negotiate on.
- Any unionist who advocates returning to Stormont without the Union having been restored is required, as a matter of law, to collaborate in perpetually and dynamically implementing the Protocol and thus the subjugation of the Union. This is a position no self-respecting unionist could conceivably adopt.