Lord Murphy to conduct review into Windsor Framework
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Former Northern Ireland and Welsh Secretary Lord Murphy is to carry out a review into how the Windsor Framework is functioning. The announcement was made by current Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn following a vote by the Stormont Assembly to extend post-Brexit trading arrangements for the region for another four years.
The debate and vote in December were required under the democratic consent mechanism in the UK and EU’s framework deal and were designed to give local elected representatives a say on the trade rules that now operate in the region. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.
The Stormont vote in December was held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion did not require cross-community support to pass.
If it had secured cross-community support – ie a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists in favour – then the arrangements would have been extended for eight years. However, the vote passing on only a straight majority meant the relevant articles of the framework were instead extended for four years and also obliged the UK Government to instigate an independent review of how the framework is working.
