By John CampbellBBC News NI economics and business editor31 January 2024, 12:46 GMTUpdated 17 minutes agoImage caption, Chris Heaton-Harris said the proposals in the deal would “secure Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market”The DUP has been avoiding participation in Stormont’s power-sharing government for two years in objection to post-Brexit trade regulations.The deal will lessen inspections and paperwork for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.The alterations pertain to GB goods remaining in NI and will result in no standard checks on those goods.These adaptations are within the maximum flexibility permitted under a pre-existing EU/UK agreement and are anticipated to be acceptable to the EU.On Tuesday, the UK and EU Joint reached an accord to amend the agreement to allow NI to benefit from UK Free Trade Agreements.The DUP had called for adjustments to how goods are traded between Northern Ireland and Great Britain to end its standoff at Stormont.Image caption, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was doing an interview with the BBC on Wednesday as details of the deal brokeThe government will also enact two legislations to guarantee Northern Ireland goods can be sold in Great Britain under all circumstances and to assert Northern Ireland’s position in the UK.Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback program on Wednesday, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was asked if the deal would eliminate the trade border in the Irish Sea and he asserted that it would. “For goods coming in from the UK, our objective was to remove the Irish Sea Border and that is what we have achieved,” he said. “We’re no longer in a situation where if you bring goods in to sell in Northern Ireland, you need a customs declaration.”He added that for persons bringing goods into Northern Ireland to sell in Northern Ireland or for their own personal use, no customs declaration would be needed, and there would be “no physical checks (on those goods) at Northern Ireland ports”.The DUP leader argued this “removes the border in the UK internal market”.Sir Jeffrey commended Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, stating that he had “delivered where others haven’t”.The DUP leader compared the current occupant of No 10 with one of his predecessors, Boris Johnson, stating that while Mr Johnson “promised us a lot of things, he didn’t deliver them”.”Rishi Sunak has worked with us, the secretary of state has worked with us, the team from Downing Street has worked with us to make these changes,” he added. Sir Jeffrey said the deal was not perfect and he had not achieved everything the DUP had wanted, explaining there was more work to do on the “important issue” of veterinary medicines.Video caption, Westminster leaders welcome talks to restore power-sharing in Northern IrelandThe prime minister has praised the “significant steps” taken by the DUP to reach the agreement.Opening Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak thanked the DUP for its efforts, and said the other parties had shown patience over the past two years.He said there was now the prospect of getting power sharing back up and running, “strengthening our union and giving people the local, accountable government they need”.The prime minister added this would offer a “brighter future for Northern Ireland”.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also described it as an “important moment” and that all sides needed to work together to kickstart devolution.Meanwhile, the main Stormont parties are meeting Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin in Belfast on Wednesday.Mr Martin added the Irish government has “no issue with streamlining and making sure that there’s a seamless passage of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal, the Windsor Framework, keeps it inside the EU’s single market for goods.That prevented a post-Brexit trade border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.However, it has meant the introduction of checks and controls on goods from Great Britain.
