Leaving aside the fact that the DUP opposed the GFA for most of its existence, the strange thing is that the GFA is quite clear that constitutional issues like a United Ireland will be decided by a 50%+1 majority and don't require majority unionist support.

Now for you and me, the Protocol is about the minutiae of post Brexit trading arrangements for specified goods as they relate to N. Ireland and the Single Market and as codified in the Withdrawal Agreement. But unionists have also been claiming that the Protocol changes the Constitutional status of N. Ireland and as such, should require Unionist consent.

The beauty of having an unwritten constitution is you can have continual arguments about what is constitutional, and what is not. But if the Protocol truly does change N. Ireland's constitutional position as unionists claim, then it should be subject to 50%+1 majority decision, not cross-community consent.

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When is a 62-25 parliamentary vote not good enough for victory? When it's the Northern Ireland Assembly and the outnumbered Democratic Unionists wield their veto on power-sharing.https:/t.co/KqwkfpvjWD

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) May 13, 2022

Northern Ireland could lose access to the EU's single market for goods if the UK walks away from post-Brexit rules.
https:/t.co/2imbZnwS8v

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) May 15, 2022

It cannot be repeated too often. The EU has never had the slightest intention to raise border infrastructure in Ireland. It is the UK that decided to leave the SM/CU creating the need for a border. The row is about how far the EU should go to accommodate its neighbour. #fixedit https://t.co/Ayo7HClJ9Z

— Rem Korteweg (@remkorteweg) May 16, 2022

Basically his take on Truss' recent speech is that she wants to use N. Ireland as a back door for southern hemisphere food conglomerates into the Single market. She is trying to negotiate trade deals with them and has few carrots to offer, so she is offering back door access  to the Single Market in return for "Global Britain's" access to their markets.

Surprisingly, the Commission is not enamoured with the idea... Neither should N. Ireland farmers be too keen on the idea if they weren't so blinded by their need to maintain their "British" identity. This was never about N. Ireland or its best interests. The UK government can't afford N. Ireland to succeed while the rest of the UK fails for lack of access to markets. That might show up the fallacy of Brexit.

But as usual, the UK government can rely on the DUP to act as useful idiots.

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Boris Johnson has stated that he doesn't think the EU will retaliate in any way. He could be forgiven for forming this conviction in that the EU paused legal actions to redress current UK flouting of the protocol and has continued to talk meekly about addressing any issues which might arise out of the implementation of the protocol. He also has the chutzpah to claim that the Protocol lacks support in the Northern Ireland despite 56% of the electorate voting for pro-protocol parties with the main anti-protocol party, the DUP, reduced to 21% of the vote. He has continued to side openly with the DUP despite the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement requiring the UK government to act impartially and give equality of esteem to both political traditions in the north.

Fintan O'Toole (Truss's latest take on NI protocol reveals what is really going on, 17th. May) argues that the UK government's real intention is negotiate Free Trade Agreements with southern hemisphere countries which promise them back door access to the Single Market through N. Ireland in return for free UK access to their markets. One of the main benefits of Brexit was always supposed to be the scrapping of Common Agricultural Policy subsidies on agricultural produce and their replacement by cheaper food sourced on world markets. The fact that this would fatally undermine British agriculture is of little concern to Conservatives because of its small contribution to British GDP, but N. Ireland agriculture is a much more important component of northern GDP.  How will Northern Ireland farmers fare when faced with cheaper imports from abroad and from CAP subsidised Irish farmers?

The EU is an alliance of states based on the adherence to treaties and the rule of law. The maintenance of EU food quality and security standards has always been an important component of its commitment to European farmers, consumers, and the general economy. If the EU will not now act to protect its laws, security and economies then what is the point of the EU? If the EU wants to be taken by Boris Johnson et al, it will have to act decisively in defence of its legitimate interests. The time for talking softly is over. It is time for the EU to wield the big stick of trade sanctions until Boris Johnson realises that breaking the Withdrawal Agreement and the Belfast Good Friday Agreement carries a huge cost for the UK as a whole.


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