How will Sinn Fein’s victory in Northern Ireland’s Assembly election affect Boris Johnson’s political future?
What is the position of the Sinn Fein Party towards Brexit?
What is the reason for the dispute between the UK and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol?
What plans has the Sinn Fein Party announced for Northern Ireland?
The historic victory of the opposition in the assembly election in Northern Ireland has become another challenge for the Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson. It will weaken his position in the post-Brexit disputes with the EU.
Sinn Fein Party wins assembly election.
Assembly elections in Northern Ireland took place at a time when, according to many analysts, the results caused a political earthquake. On Saturday, Sinn Fein won a historic and decisive victory in Northern Ireland’s assembly election, winning most of the seats in Belfast, the capital. The Nationalist and Republican Party, which is also strongly opposed to Brexit, won the most seats in the election, winning 27 of the 24 seats against the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The first defeat of the Unionist Democratic Party
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O’Neill in Northern Ireland called his party’s victory historic and said, “We will work with those who serve all other political perspectives, we will show respect, and we expect to be shown respect”. Since the founding of Northern Ireland, the area, which is part of British territory, has been led by a majority of its Protestant residents by pro-union politicians in union with London.
Sinn Fein seeks an alliance with the Republic of Ireland.
Sinn Fein had previously focused on economic issues in the election campaign and introduced himself as a progressive political force. The party will also seek to unite Northern Ireland, part of the UK, with the Republic of Ireland in central Dublin, an independent and EU member state. Following the recent defeat of Johnson’s party in the recent local elections, the results of the assembly election in Northern Ireland are another challenge for the UK Prime Minister, and he is still under pressure. Sinn Fein won the election for the first time in Northern Ireland. This is the first time in nearly 100 years that London-loyal Unionists no longer have a majority in Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson’s New Challenge
This change of power could neutralize the path of confrontation between UK PM Boris Johnson and the EU. Johnson had previously threatened to rescind the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Brexit agreement with the EU. But Sinn Fein disagrees. The victory of the nationalists could lead to a referendum on alliance with the Republic of Ireland. Scottish nationalists are also trying to secede from the UK.
Liz Truss warns the EU.
After announcing the results of the assembly election in Northern Ireland, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned the EU to adhere to the Northern Ireland Protocol. London threatens to pull out of the agreement unilaterally if the EU doesn’t accept its terms in the dispute. This protocol regulates the transport of goods from the UK between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and provides border control in the Irish Sea. London opposes border control for political and practical reasons. The Union Democratic Party doesn’t want to cooperate with Sinn Fein unless the protocol is suspended.
Tensions between the UK and the EU over the NI Protocol
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signed the Northern Ireland Protocol for the 2020 Brexit agreement. He has since argued that he hastily reached a deal and that its implementation needs improvement. Following its exit from the EU and the region’s single market, the UK has faced severe difficulties in sending goods to Northern Ireland, which is part of the country but subject to EU trade law and has repeatedly called for the renegotiation of the NI Protocol. According to the Northern Ireland Protocol, imports of goods and services from the EU to Northern Ireland should not be subject to British customs tariffs, and the UK is required to comply with EU rules on trade in goods and services.
Successive defeats of the Conservatives
But the outcome of the Northern Ireland assembly election is not the only bad news for the UK Prime Minister, who has many political problems. His Conservative party also suffered a painful defeat in local elections on Thursday. Most importantly, the Labor Opposition Party expanded its strong position in London. Johnson’s Conservative Party Council is blamed for the heavy defeat because of the Partygate scandal. In this election, the ruling Conservative Party lost control of some councils, especially London. Conservatives lost about 400 seats nationwide after counting almost all constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labor Party won 240 seats.
Sinn Fein’s party opposes Brexit.
The critical thing about Sinn Fein’s victory in the election is that it is a staunch opposition party seeking to secede from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland. Sinn Fein is currently the leading and most famous party in the Republic of Ireland and has been campaigning for three years to establish issues such as living costs and health successfully. Trade between the UK and Northern Ireland, which wants to leave Brexit, now faces many customs challenges.
The UK and the EU have many differences in enforcing customs laws, and these differences have led to many obstacles and challenges in trade between the two sides. The UK government has previously stated that negotiations with the EU on post-Brexit trade laws have been constructive for Northern Ireland, but significant differences remain. Sinn Fein’s victory in the NI Assembly elections has put pressure on Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party. Criticism of Johnson over the scandals is mounting, and many Britons, even conservatives, are calling for his resignation.
