Jim Allister MP slams trade deal as “betrayal of Union” on VE Day

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister MP has launched a scathing attack on the UK Government’s latest international trade agreement, branding it a “betrayal of the Union” and highlighting its implications for Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

Speaking on VE Day, Allister drew a stark contrast between the anniversary’s celebration of national unity and what he described as the continuing political and constitutional separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.

“While the details of this deal will have to be examined, it is clear that the Protocol will come into play,” said Allister.

“With the deal touching on matters such as beef, Northern Ireland is governed not by UK law but by EU law. The deal is therefore likely to confirm the Union dismantling nature of the Windsor Framework.”

The TUV leader has been a vocal opponent of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework, both of which have sought to manage post-Brexit trade by keeping Northern Ireland aligned with aspects of EU regulation.

Allister and fellow unionists argue that these arrangements create an internal border in the Irish Sea, undermining Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom.

In a pointed reference to the historic significance of VE Day, Allister added:

“It is shameful that – on the very day we celebrate victory in a war which was all about respecting the territorial integrity of the nation state – we have a deal which underscores Northern Ireland’s status as a place apart when it comes to the UK.

“The obscenity of being governed by laws we cannot change made by people we do not elect flies in the face of the basic values which were secured at such a high cost 80 years ago.”

UK Government ministers have repeatedly defended the Windsor Framework as a pragmatic solution to maintain Northern Ireland’s access to both UK and EU markets while preserving the Good Friday Agreement.

Critics of the Government’s approach argue that the economic benefits of the framework come at a political cost, entrenching a separate regulatory regime in Northern Ireland and fuelling unionist discontent.

The timing of the new trade deal’s announcement, coinciding with VE Day commemorations, has further inflamed tensions among some unionists, for whom the integrity of the UK remains a central political principle.

As scrutiny of the new trade deal intensifies, unionist leaders are expected to demand greater transparency from the Government regarding its implications for Northern Ireland and the continuing role of EU law in shaping its regulatory environment.