UK Conservative Party leadership hopefuls promised Wednesday to reestablish Northern Ireland’s defunct power sharing agreement.
During a debate event held in Belfast, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appealed to Tory party members by vowing to continue changes to the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol and to keep the UK united.
“Until we sort the issue of the NI Protocol, we’re not going to get Stormont back up and running. And I’ve been in discussions with all of the parties in Northern Ireland. I’m determined to make it happen,” Truss said, describing the protocol as causing “unfairness” to the Union.
Stormont is the building in Northern Ireland that is used for meetings of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“And as we make progress on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, we will see power-sharing reestablished in Northern Ireland, and as well the Belfast Good Friday Agreement re-established,” she added.
Truss said it “might take time” for the House of Lords to pass through a revised version of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and that she would not accept any European Union deal that does not make UK courts the ultimate arbiter in matters relating to the country.
She also rallied against moves that would deter free trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and prevent people in the territory from benefitting in tax decisions.
For his part, Sunak vowed to protect the Union and said the protocol in its current form is putting the unity of the country at risk.
“It is clear that the operation of the protocol, as it’s currently being enacted, is putting that position at risk, and I will do everything I can as prime minister to fix that,” he said.
Unlike Truss, however, Sunak took a more diplomatic tone when it came to the EU and made clear that a negotiated outcome with the bloc would provide a “much quicker” solution to the Brexit induced crisis.
Truss’s tax cuts a “moral failure”
As well as discussing the protocol and unity of the Union, the pair touched on the recurring issue of tax cuts.
Sunak reiterated his criticisms of Truss’s plans to cut taxes, saying such plans would not help low-income families and described her plans as a “moral failure of the Conservative government.”
“I believe I have the right plan to help everyone in the United Kingdom, support them with the cost of living, particularly the most vulnerable groups in society like those on the lowest incomes and pensioners. But with some help for everyone,” he said.
“But what we also must not do is put fuel on the fire of inflation, and permanent unfunded tax cuts risk doing exactly that. They will significantly increase our borrowing and they risk entrenching high inflation for years to come. That is not the right plan. My plan is the right plan,” he added.
Truss, however, has defended her plans to scale back taxes and said the support her government would give to low-income households would suffice enough.
Previously, Truss objected to offering support to those in need. This policy, however, resulted in a backlash and subsequent U-turn by the foreign minister and her team.
The conference in Belfast was the eighth debate event of the Tory party leadership race, with four more events to go.
On Sept. 5, the Conservative Party membership will vote for the party’s next leader as well as the country’s next prime minister.
Source: Anadolu Agency