The Windsor Framework: Why it’s So Important to the North East
Date published:
Callum George’s latest for The Journal
Well, last week wasn’t the one I had – maybe too optimistically – planned for. The Monday I’d booked leave for wasn’t spent celebrating winning the Carabao Cup (although I’m sure Newcastle United will be back at Wembley soon), instead it was spent sat on the sofa with the news on in the background.
The UK and the EU have announced the ‘Windsor Framework’ – which allows businesses in Great Britain to trade within Northern Ireland with much less hassle. For a lot of businesses, this will be met with a sigh of relief, as it’s fair to say under past governments, news about the Northern Ireland Protocol was rarely positive.
Since the moment I joined the Chamber’s Policy Team, I’ve been asked why the Northern Ireland Protocol affects the North East. To be honest with you, I don’t think I appreciated the extent of how important it is to the North East before starting this role.
I suppose a good starting point would be to understand the North East’s relationship with the EU. In a nutshell, the EU is the North East’s biggest trading partner both in terms of buying and selling goods: so much so that if you were to take the rest of the world outside the EU, we still trade more with the EU than every other part of the world put together. With that in mind, it’s fair to say that a range of North East businesses depend on a healthy economic relationship with mainland Europe.
Of course, since Brexit, our relationship with Europe has been forced to change. A lot of British products that your average European could find on shelves simply aren’t shipped from the UK anymore. The variety of British products available in the Eurozone has decreased dramatically. Those who still rely on trading to and from the EU, can’t afford for business to be tougher.
That’s what makes solving the tensions around the Northern Ireland Protocol so important to the North East. Rewind to the middle of last year, and discussions about the Northern Ireland Protocol were worrying. Talks of increased tariffs on British goods going to Europe were rumoured, making trading in the EU even more difficult. With some firms already struggling following Brexit, this would have caused real damage to the North East’s economy.
The news of the Windsor Framework is extremely positive, as it provides businesses with more clarity and certainty for their day-to-day business. Hopefully, this can be the start of a stronger post-Brexit relationship between the UK and the EU. And – although the Carabao Cup wasn’t meant to be – I’m sure the North East’s relationship with the EU will be symbolised nicely by seeing a few more black and white shirts around Europe next season.