Brexit: Parties and business develop 'joint proposals'

Stormont's five main parties and NI's business leaders have developed joint proposals around the measures the government must take on Brexit, DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said.

He said it was a "remarkable achievement" given the "deep divisions" in recent years.

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry MP said there was "common ground".

It comes as a new Brexit sub-committee, established by the executive, will meet for the first time next Tuesday.

"We've been sitting around the table, this is a positive development, five political parties with the business leaders in Northern Ireland… we have developed joint proposals, which I think is quite a remarkable achievement," Sir Jeffrey told ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's The View programme.

He added: "It's quite remarkable that we've moved from a situation where there was a big debate and deep divisions to one where we have a joint approach, a joined-up approach, between politicians and business on the measures that we want the government to take."

'Common ground'

Mr Farry said there was "common ground to have those conversations".

"I am pleased with what has happened. But there are issues out there which will cause difficulties down the line," he said.

He cited the decision that the Northern Ireland Assembly will have to make on aligning with EU rules or with the UK as one issue, which he said would create "tension at the heart of our politics".

"I think people should not be complacent around this. I think Brexit is a major fault line in terms of our politics and while in the short term we do have common ground ... this is something that has caused major difficulties locally," he added.

The Brexit deal means Northern Ireland will follow EU rules on agricultural and manufactured goods - the rest of the UK will not.

Additionally, the whole of the UK will leave the EU's customs union but Northern Ireland will continue to enforce the EU's customs code at its ports.

This means some new checks and processes for goods moving between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.

The UK will leave the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday.

Meanwhile, Stormont's Brexit sub-committee, due to sit next Tuesday, was agreed as part of the deal to restore power-sharing.

It is to be chaired by the first and deputy first ministers.

It will also involve at least one representative from each executive party.

The sub-committee will carry out an assessment of the impact of Brexit on the Stormont institutions.

It will also look at the effect on north-south and east-west relationships.

The deal states that the sub-committee's activities should be scrutinised by an assembly committee, but it is not yet clear how this will work.