The Guardian newspaper has today reported that Northern Ireland business groups are calling for a six month delay to Brexit checks in the Irish Sea saying that Boris Johnson’s late admission that he is legally obliged to implement them has left them no time to prepare for the December "cliff edge."

They have also hit out at Downing Street secrecy, saying they are refusing to discuss the plans with the very people that needed to implement them.

Their call for a six month “adjustment period” falls short of the extension to the transition period that the Stormont assembly unexpectedly agreed to call for earlier this week. They warned Northern Ireland businesses will go to the wall unless they are given more time by the UK and the EU to set themselves up for the unprecedented changes to the way they trade with Britain.

The Guardian reports that Business groups have already asked for financial compensation for the extra costs they will incur. The government conceded just two weeks ago that there would be checks in the Irish sea when Michael Gove, who is charged with implementing and enforcing the withdrawal agreement on behalf of the UK, revealed the command paper on Northern Ireland protocol.

The paper was welcomed by Northern Ireland businesses at the time and by Michel Barnier’s senior adviser Stefaan de Rynck last Friday as it was the first step in “unlocking” the process of setting up a unique trading operation for the region. 

Source: www.businessworld.ie