DUP MP backs Farage's Good Friday Agreement proposal

Sammy Wilson believes Nigel Farage's plans to deal with illegal immigration are essential for the UK

A DUP MP has backed Nigel Farage's suggestion that Reform UK would look to renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement as part of its plan to stop small boat crossings to England.

The Reform leader made the claim at a news conference on Tuesday where he announced moves to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers in its first parliament.

He also said he would leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) - which helps underpin the agreement - and replace it with a British Bill of Rights applying only to British citizens and those who have a legal right to live in the UK.

The DUP's Sammy Wilson said that what Farage was suggesting was "essential for many reasons in the United Kingdom".

Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes said the Good Friday Agreement "belongs to the people of Ireland, not to Nigel Farage. Mr Farage clearly has no understanding of Irish politics and cares even less".

'Principles tossed aside'

The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

It was signed on 10 April 1998 and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Farage told his news conference that the agreement could be renegotiated to "get the ECHR out of it", but it would not happen quickly.

"Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons - previous governments have placed Northern Ireland, I'm afraid, in a different position to the rest of the United Kingdom, something that we vigorously opposed - it will take a little bit longer with Northern Ireland."

Nigel Farage said the Good Friday Agreement could be renegotiated if Britain leaves the European Convention on Human Rights

Wilson, the MP for East Antrim, told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme he believes the Reform leader is overestimating the difficulties with changing aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, as the previous Conservative government had done so with the Windsor Framework Brexit deal.

"What Nigel Farage needs is a big majority after the next election and then he can do whatever he wants," Wilson said.

"I've advised them [Reform] on this, that really a government with a sufficient majority can do what the Conservatives did with the Belfast Agreement.

"The Belfast Agreement was torn up by a government that did have a majority," he said.

"The key principles of the agreement, namely the consent principle when it comes to controversial legislation in the assembly, was simply tossed aside and the assurance that there would be no constitutional change for Northern Ireland without cross-community agreement of the people in Northern Ireland was tossed aside as well."

Wilson said the problems caused by illegal immigration could not be ignored and "at least we now have someone [Farage] who actually gets it".

"We can't continue to ignore the facts and the facts are that right across Europe countries are closing their borders because they're finding that illegal immigration is overwhelming their economies and causing societal problems," he added.

'Human rights protections are fundamental'

Sinn Féin's Dáire Hughes said the Good Friday Agreement 'belongs to the people of Ireland, not to Nigel Farage'

In a statement Hughes said: "The Good Friday Agreement is an international treaty between the two governments, endorsed democratically by the Irish people and lodged with the UN.

"The human rights protections are fundamental and won't be wished away."

He added: "If anything the Good Friday Agreement needs to be fully implemented including delivering the provision for a unity referendum."

Alliance deputy leader Eóin Tennyson described the European Convention on Human Rights as a "bedrock of the Good Friday Agreement".

"Any move to roll back these vital human rights protections would be a sinister development," Tennyson said.

"Farage's proposals are not just impractical and unserious but also lay bare his reckless disregard for the people of Northern Ireland."

However, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister said: "It could never be appropriate to have one part of the United Kingdom constitutionally exercising different rights from another.

"That is why it is right and necessary to extricate the whole of the United Kingdom from the ECHR."

'Simplistic solution'

Also speaking to Good Morning Ulster, SDLP leader Claire Hanna said the ECHR underpinned the Good Friday Agreement.

"The next rank populist who is trying to sell people a very simplistic solution to a very complex public policy problem can't just wash them away," she added.

"I also think the DUP, as before, are going to get their fingers burnt, because I can't imagine Nigel Farage, if he gets into Downing Street, having much interest spending his first few years negotiating with Dublin.

"I dare say he would drop Northern Ireland in a heartbeat when it starts to get complicated."

'Dangerously irresponsible'

NI Secretary and Labour MP Hilary Benn has criticised Farage's comments

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the Good Friday Agreement had brought an end to three decades of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland and across the UK.

"For Nigel Farage to talk flippantly about trying to remove one of the pillars of that historic agreement shows that he hasn't got the faintest idea about the consequences," he said in a statement.

"To jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement would not only be dangerously irresponsible, but would also disrespect all those who helped to bring about the peace that the people of Northern Ireland now enjoy."