The Northern Ireland Protocol has caused huge economic and constitutional damage to Northern Ireland. It has also fractured the cross-community consent necessary for the stable operation of devolution.
It is clear that progress has been made over recent days, and this must be built upon to secure an outcome that delivers arrangements that are acceptable to both unionists and nationalists and which restore our place in the UK internal Market.
The constitutional and democratic issues raised by the Protocol are of fundamental importance. It is unacceptable that EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland with no democratic scrutiny or consent.
The Prime Minister did recognise the need to put in place new arrangements that secure Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.
Delivering upon that vision and securing the legal replacement of the failed protocol is vital if we are to return the focus to building a more peaceful and prosperous future in Northern Ireland.