UK Unionist Leavers. Let me explain to you why I think you should consider the NI provisions in Boris' deal tolerable. 1/
NI has often had quite extensive devolution in the past. Indeed, from the 1920s to 1960s it virtually ran itself. The NI Protocol in Boris' deal is a rather extreme form of devolution. It allows the people of NI - for as long as they choose to do so - to keep an EEA-for-NI. 2/
The EEA-for-NI protocol means the people of NI (for as long as they choose to do so) sit in the Single Mkt for goods, but under UK trade & tariff policy. They get to choose, every 4yrs, if they want to continue. Like a Presidential vote. No veto on leaving for Sinn Fein or EU. 3/
The vote's a vote on whether to continue with the transitional Protocol arrangement. The default is reverting to UK regulatory jurisdiction. The vote doesn't require Stormont to be sitting. If/when the people of NI choose to end the transitional protocol, it ends (2yrs runoff) 4/
It isn't up to the EU or Ireland - or even London - when NI ends the transitional Protocol. That's up to the people of NI. Suppose the deal had bn for NI to stay in an EEA-for-NI for a few yrs post-Brexit as a transitional arrangement. That wld hv bn tolerable, yes? 5/
Well, Boris' deal is just a transitional arrangement that ends after 6 yrs, but the people of NI have an option to extend if they want to. Isn't that better - esp as time-limited transitional arrangements might hv required being subject to EU tariffs? 6/
Now, you may hv heard that the EU (via the Joint Committee) gets input into whether goods going to NI are deemed bound-for-the-EU (& hence subject to tariffs). And that's kind-of-true, but the UK govt can decide it believes the good is NI-bound, & so offset the tariff. 7/
So it's up to Her Majesty's Govt what tariffs get paid or not on goods bound for NI. NI benefits fully from any trade deals the UK does. And an FTA with the EU will eliminate most tariffs anyway. 8/
I don't pretend it's perfect. I wish we weren't doing a deal at all. But I think Unionists should fear what London might be willing to do - given May's deal & given Corbyn's Labour - if Boris' deal isn't passed. This is tolerable. Win the argument in NI & the Protocol ends. 9/
Meantime NI has a foot in both camps. That cld work out happily in a commercial sense. And not just subsidies. Businesses that want a foot in both camps themselves may locate into NI. See how it goes. The people of NI might like it. And if they don't, they can stop. /Ends
