Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has welcomed Assembly support for a bespoke sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) agreement to reduce the checks required on goods being traded between Britain and the north.

The party’s economy spokesperson said:

“While David Frost was playing to the gallery at the Tory party conference with more bluster of threats to trigger Article 16, the Assembly was debating an actual practical and realistic solution to minimise the friction in trade.

“The protocol was negotiated and agreed by the British government as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, it is in place to mitigate against the worst impact of Brexit; it prevents a hard border on this island, protects the all island economy and north south cooperation.

“The reality is the protocol is going nowhere, it will not be renegotiated.

“We need to see constructive engagement by the British government; it is time for the sabre-rattling and rhetoric to stop.

“Businesses and consumers need certainty and stability, that will not be achieved through triggering Article 16.

“Instead the British government needs to engage in a meaningful and constructive way through the framework of the Joint Committee to find solutions and to implement the protocol in a practical and flexible way.”