The Sunday Debate: The Northern Ireland Question: Is it Time to Abandon The Protocol?

Intelligence Squared

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4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2022

⏱️ 62 minutes

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Summary

The Northern Ireland Protocol – agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union in 2019 – has been a source of tension since it came into force at the start of 2021. The protocol, which creates a special trading arrangement for goods coming in and out of Northern Ireland (the only part of the UK with a land border with the EU), was supposed to protect the integrity of the EU single market, maintain the peace on the island of Ireland and provide Boris Johnson with a way to finally get Brexit done. But fast-forward to today and the protocol is as contentious as ever. Unionists in Northern Ireland say the protocol is undermining the region’s place within the UK. Brexiteers say it is hampering Britain’s ability to make trade deals with the rest of the world. And the Government has now proposed a bill to make unilateral changes to the protocol which they say will preserve the Good Friday Agreement, changes which EU leaders say they will resist with legal action. How do we make sense of this thorny issue? Should the protocol be kept intact to maintain trust between the UK and the EU, or should it be rewritten to preserve the UK’s political stability? Speakers: Jill Rutter - Senior research fellow of UK in a Changing Europe Claire Hanna MP - SDLP Member of Parliament for South Belfast since 2019 Darren McCaffrey - Political Editor and Breakfast Presenter at GB News Moderator: Emma Vardy- BBC Ireland Correspondent covering both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Ian Stirling, and I'm with one of McCain's farmers who grow their potatoes.
0:04.0	Hang on, these are odd-looking potatoes.
0:06.0	That's kale, Ian.
0:08.0	You do know you need potato to make chips, right?
0:11.0	Yes, but we don't just grow potatoes.
0:13.0	We actually rotate different crops to help keep the soil healthy.
0:16.0	So we eat McCain chips. I'm helping do some good.
0:19.0	Exactly, yeah. You're supporting the move to regenerative farming.
0:22.0	By the way, I do know the difference between kale and potatoes.
0:26.0	Of course you do.
0:28.0	Let's all check in.
0:58.0	If you love the Intelligent Scribe podcast, you can support the show and help us do what we do.
1:05.0	By hitting subscribe by Apple Podcasts.
1:07.0	And in return, you'll get bonus content, add free listening, and early episodes too.
1:28.0	Hello, everyone. It's a great pleasure for me to be hosting this. And of course, I'm speaking to you from here in Belfast.
1:48.0	And this is where, of course, the protocol is having an effect on many people's lives.
1:53.0	Let's just rewind a bit. Of course, it was a compromise agreement negotiated at length between the UK and the EU,
2:00.0	which was supposed to be a way to preserve peace and stability on the island of Ireland.
2:05.0	But as we all know, it's been a source of great tension ever since.
2:09.0	Now, if you're here like me and you go out speaking to businesses, lots will tell you,
2:13.0	look, we're getting to grips with the protocol. We want it simplified a bit, but it's working for us.
2:18.0	In fact, there are businesses who are saying that we are benefiting by making the most of access to dual markets to both the UK and the EU.
	...

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