Thread by @GeorgePeretzQC

Note 1: Martin Howe offers no “solution” either. (This fantasy “solution” does not count.)

https://twitter.com/danielmgmoylan/status/1452208204394422274

Note 2: what the High Court judge in Allister said about careless and silly use of words like “colonial”: -

(Incidentally, the “respondent” arguing that the effect of the Protocol was limited was the Secretary of State for NI in the current government this spring, before it suddenly decided that there was a serious democratic problem.)

PS I think there are serious problems with democratic accountability under the Protocol. The Commission’s proposals do something (though not enough) within the current framework to address them.

But it’s also important to recognise that there are also democratic problems with the way in which NI is governed within the UK: as no GB party stands in NI no NI MP is ever in government in the UK and there is a serious accountability problem.

Devolution helps with democratic accountability of course: but the current government isn’t exactly an enthusiast for that.