Professor David Phinnemore:

Over the past six years we focused on the extent to which Brexit has been disruptive in the UK's relationship with the EU but when we peer inside the UK, looking beyond just the Northern Ireland position, it has raised lots of constitutional questions. It has been quite a steep learning process for Westminster to understand the nature of this United Kingdom which, dare one say, is not as united as is assumed in the title. Equally, the UK Government's management of the process has often led to an exacerbation of the tensions that exist. Quite a significant piece of work needs to be done on the part of the UK Government in Westminster to manage the relationships it has with Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Recently I was in Cardiff and was struck by how much frustration there is about the lack of consultation around what are quite major issues for the United Kingdom. There is very little engagement with the devolved administrations. It feeds into what the opportunities are further ahead for using the protocol as a framework because even though the UK is characterised by differentiation because of the developed settlements, there is a reluctance to accept that quite often in London and think through how to manage policy in that context. If that exacerbation of the tensions is to be reversed, then serious work needs to be done to ensure that central government works in such a way in the UK that the devolved administrations are listened to. That then comes back to the protocol question and the question of trust in the UK Government to act in the interests of Northern Ireland. What mechanisms do we have in place such that any voice identified in Northern Ireland as being in its interest feeds up into the UK position and is then represented in the UK position to the EU? There is concern everywhere at the extent to which the mechanisms exist.

My sense is that serious work needs to be done to ensure this, otherwise the claims that exist within the UK that devolved government and devolved administrations are not being listened to is only going to get worse.