Speaking during a statement by the Paymaster General on UK-EU negotiations and the reinstatement of the Erasmus scheme, Mrs Lockhart highlighted the growing pressures being placed on businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland as a direct result of ongoing trade barriers within the United Kingdom.

Raising the issue on the floor of the House of Commons, she pressed the Government on rising costs, reduced consumer choice and a series of looming cliff edges facing Northern Ireland across key sectors.

Speaking on the issue, Carla Lockhart MP said:

“Forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, for not being full of Christmas cheer. Although people are welcoming this announcement, businesses in Northern Ireland are being disadvantaged. Rising costs, significant trade barriers because of the Windsor Framework, delivery not being available as a regular problem for online shoppers in Northern Ireland, and the immediate cliff edge for veterinary medicines, import control system 2 and type approval for cars are all very real concerns.

“When will this Government stand up for Northern Ireland’s place within the Union and sort out the trade barriers of our internal market?”

Carla Lockhart MP said, and that once again the Government failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation facing Northern Ireland.

“The Windsor Framework is not a technical adjustment. It is a fundamental problem that is driving up costs, reducing choice and undermining Northern Ireland’s full place within the United Kingdom. Businesses are being forced to absorb extra bureaucracy, consumers are being told ‘we do not deliver to Northern Ireland’, and entire sectors are facing uncertainty.”

“I have been consistent in Parliament that warm words and diplomatic language will not fix this. Northern Ireland does not need to be managed differently. We need the same internal market freedoms as the rest of the UK.”

“I will continue to use every opportunity available to fight for Northern Ireland’s place within the Union. The Government must move beyond rhetoric and finally take decisive action to remove these trade barriers. Northern Ireland deserves nothing less.”