Northern Ireland Protocol: Poots denies letter tried to dilute bill

Edwin Poots wrote the letter while he was agriculture minister in July

The former Stormont agriculture minister Edwin Poots has dismissed a report that he tried to dilute the Northern Ireland Protocol bill.

The ex-DUP leader responded to a Financial Times article which suggested he wrote to the government to argue Northern Ireland's farmers would be better off under the protocol.

The DUP has blocked Northern Ireland's executive and assembly from forming in its protest against the protocol.

Mr Poots has said he supports the bill.

He added the legislation, which would override parts of the protocol, is "necessary to deal with the constitutional and economic damage being done to Northern Ireland".

The protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with the EU's single market for goods to ensure free trade can continue across the Irish land border post-Brexit.

It has, however, in turn angered unionist politicians by adding new checks to some goods being moved between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The DUP has said this undermines Northern Ireland's constitutional position and the party has, since February, withheld its support for the formation of Stormont's governing executive.

The party said there appears to be "some people in London who mischievously are out to cast doubt on the DUP's determination to get rid of the NI Protocol - their tactics will fail".

"The party did not at any time consider tabling amendments to the bill to reflect anything contained in the letter which was sent by Mr Poots in his ministerial rather than party capacity and which was never discussed by the party," it added.

• A simple guide to the Northern Ireland Protocol

On Friday, it was reported that Mr Poots wrote to the then-UK environment, food and rural affairs secretary, George Eustice.

It said Mr Poots argued it was "unacceptable" that the protocol bill would force farmers to accept the same agricultural subsidy as the rest of the UK.

The Northern Ireland Protocol has created some new checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain

In response, Mr Poots has said he "reasonably suggested one change which would maximise the UK's ability to use state aid under World Trade Organisation rules".

A new subsidy system is expected to come fully into force in the UK from 4 January, which is designed to allow the devolved regions to deliver subsidies tailored for their needs.

The newspaper reported that Mr Poots could not recall if he received a response from London.

The UK government and the EU resumed talks in recent weeks about the protocol, while the legislation continues to progress through parliament.

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister accused Mr Poots of putting "expediency before principle" by writing the letter, to which Mr Poots replied "it does not dilute the bill in any way, on the contrary it makes it better".