Will the UK Really Pull the Trigger? Dickson Warns of Consequences if the UK Activates Article 16

East Antrim MLA, and Alliance Party Spokesperson for the Economy, Stewart Dickson, has weighed in on concerning rhetoric that Article 16 could soon be triggered by the UK Government.

Mr Dickson said: “There has been a lot of political murmuring reported in the media that the Tory Government are gearing up to trigger Article 16 as COP26 winds down.

“It is of course common knowledge, that after negotiating a reckless exit from the EU, this Tory Government has acted with nothing short of contempt for both the EU, and for the millions of citizens across the UK who voted to remain. Not least, the majority of voters in Northern Ireland.

“The best example of this, is the frankly dangerous angle the UK Government has taken in relation to Brexit-related issues and the Protocol.

“From the moment the Government took us out of the EU, there have been problems and concerns relating to the movement of goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, which are direct consequences of Brexit itself, and the nature of the UK-EU trade deal. Northern Ireland is not alone in these problems, and they are clearly not all the result of the Protocol.

“Where there are structural problems, these can only be addressed through fresh mitigations, flexibilities and derogations being agreed by the UK Government and the European Commission through the Joint Partnership Committee and the Specialised Committee on the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol”.

Mr Dickson went on to warn that: “Triggering Article 16 would be counter-productive, ineffective and self-defeating. Not least because the conditions for triggering Article 16 do not exist, whilst the consequences of activating the clause are all too real.

“The most obvious consequence would be the likelihood of further political instability in Northern Ireland. Contrary to the threat of the DUP to withdraw from the Northern Ireland Executive, if Article 16 is not triggered, the resultant chaos could undermine the basis for power-sharing and could lead to a more polarised debate.

“For business – who have consistently and collectively called for pragmatic change rather than the triggering Article 16 – their main concern would be of legal ambiguity as they try to trade with the EU, coupled with investment uncertainty.

“For the UK as a whole, triggering Article 16 would destroy any remaining goodwill on the part of the EU. Any rebalancing measures from the EU that involved the Trade and Co-operation Agreement, or measures outside of either the Withdrawal Agreement or TCA, could lead to immediate issues around business confidence, investment prospects, supply chains, and in due course tariff and non-tariff barriers. All of these would have major impacts for businesses and households in terms of the availability and price of goods and services”.

Mr Dickson concluded by echoing the warning of his party colleague, Dr Stephen Farry, MP for North Down, who said the question of whether or not Article 16 will be triggered is a ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over ongoing UK-EU discussions.

Mr Dickson said: “What is urgently needed is calm heads, negotiating sustainable solutions to practical problems, with mutual respect, open-mindedness, and common sense prevailing.

“Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of people in Northern Ireland do not want to see Article 16 triggered, and it is my hope that those voices are listened to”.