Mr Donaldson was speaking in advance of a meeting with Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, who has taken over responsibility as lead negotiator with the European Union.
Speaking ahead of the meeting. Sir Jeffrey said,
“The Foreign Secretary takes over responsibility from Lord Frost at a critical time. If the Government had moved unilaterally the matter would already be resolved.
I will be outlining the stark reality of the damage being caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
1. The damage to our economy, at a cost of £850m per year.
2. The damage to our health service, endangering our access to lifesaving medicines.
3. The damage to our politics, riding roughshod over the principle of consent and lack of unionist support.
The Foreign Secretary must recognise the urgency in removing the Irish Sea Border, restoring Northern Ireland’s place fully within the Internal Market of the United Kingdom, to deliver upon the clear commitments in New Decade, New Approach and in HM Government’s Command Paper.
Those agreements and commitments cannot be resiled from.
The people of Northern Ireland have been patient and reasonable, allowing time for negotiations to succeed.
The continued refusal by Brussels to recognise the damage of the Protocol, requires action from the Government. The current situation is unsustainable.
It now falls to the Foreign Secretary, to swiftly take the necessary steps to restore the territorial integrity of this country.”
