The Labour Party government in the UK has had several teething problems since it took office last July, particularly its management of the economy.
But so far one area that it has handled well is Northern Ireland. Under the previous Conservative administration and especially during Boris Johnson’s premiership, Northern Ireland was far too often used as a political football in Brexit negotiations between London and Brussels.
Between the Brexit referendum in June 2016 and the signing of the Windsor Framework in 2023, the Stormont government did not operate for a total of five years.The framework is a compromise between two competing viewpoints, with Sinn Féin and the SDLP wanting to maintain free trade across the Irish Border and Unionists prioritising trade with Britain.
The Stormont Brake is a key policy lever in the Windsor Framework that persuaded Unionist parties to sign up to the deal. It enables 30 MLAs from at least two parties to apply to the UK government to put a brake on EU law in Northern Ireland if it threatens the UK internal market.
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Before Christmas, all the main Unionist parties in Northern Ireland requested that Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, trigger the brake to prevent EU changes to the labelling of chemicals from coming into effect in Northern Ireland. Last week Benn announced that the proposed legislation did not warrant the use of the Stormont Brake, although he pledged to keep it under review.
Unionists have reacted angrily to the move and have accused the Secretary of State of prioritising Labour’s efforts to improve relations with the EU over what is best for Northern Ireland.
So far the political fallout has been contained. However, it underlines the fragility of post-Brexit relations in Northern Ireland.
The focus of the incoming Dublin Government must be on maintaining good relations with London and all parties in Northern Ireland. The Windsor Framework is the best compromise available, but it still relies on a large degree of trust.
