The House of Commons voted in favour of a critical part of the Windsor Framework yesterday, the newly proposed trade agreement between the UK and the EU regarding Northern Ireland.

With the government indicating this will be the only vote on the deal, and the EU also passing the key elements of the deal this week, the agreement seems to be effectively approved by both parties.

515 MP’s voted in favour of the Stormont Brake and only 29 voted against. Ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland’s DUP in voting against the agreement.

With the above in mind, we would expect the components of the deal to become law during a phased implementation this year. Hopefully, this will reduce the red tape currently associated with Northern Irish movements.

A reminder of the key takeaways from the new deal:

  • Goods from Britain destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new “green lane”, with a separate “red lane” for goods at risk of moving on to the EU.
  • Products coming into Northern Ireland through the green lane will see checks and paperwork significantly reduced, while red lane goods will still be subject to normal checks.
  • A “Stormont brake” allows the Northern Ireland Assembly to raise an objection to “significantly different” new EU rules which would apply in Northern Ireland.
  • Northern Ireland would also no longer have to follow certain EU rules, for example on VAT and excise for some drinks and goods.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.