Politics

The government’s Windsor Framework has got Brexit done again – these 21 reactions say it all

Oonagh Keating. Updated February 28th, 2023

Hang out the bunting, sound Big Ben, don your Union Jack hats, for the government has GOT BREXIT DONE – until the next time.

Rishi Sunak’s new Windsor Framework has killed off the NI Protocol, made trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain slightly less complicated and might just lead to the renewal of power sharing in the country.

In a bonus for the PM, the agreement, and the UK’s apparent improvement in relations with the EU, could pull the political return rug from under Boris Johnson, who had warned Sunak not to ‘water down’ the deal – and is apparently urging caution to the DUP.

In a nutshell, the Windsor Framework removes much of the paperwork for goods from the UK mainland intended for NI, while leaving them in place if the items will cross into the Republic of Ireland.

The border is still in the Irish Sea, but it’s a picket fence rather than a brick wall.

A second key part of the Framework is the Stormont Brake.

While NI has to remain subject to some EU rules because of its soft border with the bloc, there would be a mechanism to prevent future rules being imposed if both Unionist and Republican politicians agreed to oppose them.

It’s a lot to take in, but here’s what people have been saying so far.

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