Throughout the 2024 general election, Northern Ireland has often been treated as a system apart from the rest of the Westminster parties.
All five of the major Northern Irish parties only stand in Northern Ireland, and do not compete with Labour, the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats in the rest of the UK.
Following the publication the manifestos of Northern Ireland’s main parties, the IOE&IT Daily Update weighs up the trade policy proposals from each document.
DUP
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is defending seven seats at this election, standing in all constituencies except North Down and Fermanagh & South Tyrone, where it says it is standing aside to “maximise the chances of returning pro-Union MPs” for those seats.
The DUP have committed to removing the Northern Ireland Protocol, calling for an end to the “border in the Irish Sea”.
“The Protocol represents an existential threat to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the Union.”
It says that any new arrangements must be able to command the support of both unionist and nationalist parties, and that any DUP support for the replacement would be judged against its seven tests, which includes avoiding “trade diversion”, “no checks on goods” moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and to “preserve the letter and spirit of Northern Ireland’s constitutional guarantee”.
The DUP, which has been the leading unionist party in Northern Ireland for decades, also promises to boost the NI economy by supporting an extra 20,000 jobs over the next five years and to use the ‘city and growth deals’ to help fund additional growth.
Sinn Féin
Launched 19 June, the Sinn Féin manifesto sets out what the party calls a “positive vision for change” based around a “stronger and fairer economy”.
It is defending seven seats in Westminster, and is contesting all but four constituencies this time: Belfast East, Belfast South and Mid Down, Lagan Valley and North Down.
In the ‘constitutional change’ section of the manifesto, the party calls for a referendum on Irish unity to achieve a “new Ireland within the EU”, which includes a citizens’ assembly to engage with members of each community.
The party also wants to gain more tax powers from Westminster, following powers granted to Scotland and Wales.
“We will also continue to press for the transfer of fiscal powers to the Executive to allow it to protect existing services and deliver improved public services going forward.”
Sinn Féin says it will not contest Belfast East, Belfast South and Mid Down, Lagan Valley and North Down. By tradition, its MPs do not sit in the House of Commons due to the requirement that they would have to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown, something that the staunchly republican party opposes.
SDLP
A more moderate republican party, the Social Democrats and Labour Party (SDLP) describes 2024 as a “change election” and promises a “new start” for Northern Ireland, after 14 years of Conservative government in Westminster.
It currently controls two seats in the House of Commons (South Belfast and Foyle) and is the official opposition in Stormont. It is standing in all the country's Westminster seats this time around.
The SDLP promises to “maximise the opportunities” of dual-market access, saying that the NI Protocol and Windsor Framework place “Northern Ireland uniquely at the crossroads of two of the world’s most important markets”.
“The SDLP believes that a strong all-island economy benefits all the people of this island and creates new opportunities for NI business to trade on an all-island basis.”
“To this end, we will also campaign to increase InterTrade Ireland funding.”
The party, which currently has two MPs in Westminster and seven in seats in Stormont, also has manifesto commitments to back small businesses by increasing the VAT threshold to £100,000, to reduce the “unnecessary” use of personal guarantees in small business lending that it says damages investment and to establish a ‘Banking Hub Setup Fund’ to help cover the costs of establishing high street banking hubs.
Alliance
Stephen Ferry is Alliance’s sole Westminster representative, having taken North Down in 2019. Its leader, Naomi Long, is mounting a comeback attempt in Belfast East, having lost the seat in 2015.
The party, which pitches itself as neither unionist nor republican, wants a green new deal for Northern Ireland to improve the region’s energy security and ensure a “just transition” to net zero.
Additionally, it wants to see the promotion of “dual market access” and calls the Windsor Framework a “relative opportunity” for Northern Ireland that should be “exploited” to the benefit of its people and businesses. However, it says it wants to improve the implementation of the agreement in order to better achieve this.
Alliance, which remains staunchly opposed to Brexit, is also calling for a negotiated veterinary medicines agreement and improved information for British businesses interested in trading in Northern Ireland.
UUP
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is campaigning on a slogan of ‘making Northern Ireland work’.
Although it currently has no MPs in London, the UUP has in the past affiliated with the British Conservative Party (as recently as 2012). It lost its Westminster MPs in 2017 and is contesting all Northern Irish seats except Belfast North.
Leader Doug Beattie says that the Windsor Framework represents a “stepping stone” for addressing the party’s concerns over the NI Protocol.
While acknowledging that progress has been made when it comes to addressing its concerns, the party says it remains “vigilant in scrutinising the outworking of the Framework, and future negotiations between Westminster and the EU”, and has highlighted its concerns that the mechanism “is not fit for purpose”.
The UUP also commits to lobby parliament to establish a ‘Freeport Northern Ireland’ to take advantage of the region’s “unique geographical circumstances”. Under this policy, all ports and airports would become freeports.
“We will also argue for the creation of a 'Trusted Trader' scheme to enable businesses outside secure port zones to access processing relief at zero tariff rates, maximising economic benefits for all of Northern Ireland.”
The party also wants to reduce the rate of VAT that applies to the tourism and leisure industry to match that of the Republic of Ireland.
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