Ritchie questions Foreign Secretary on Single Market Membership
SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has questioned the British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, on the UK’s membership of the Single Market following an exit from the European Union.
Referring to his discussions with the Secretaries of State for Exiting the EU and International Trade, Ritchie emphasised the importance of continued Single Market membership for the economy in Northern Ireland.
Ritchie said, “Membership of the Single Market is extremely important for the continued growth of the economy in Northern Ireland. As the Secretary of State himself acknowledged in his pro-Remain article revealed at the weekend: it is a market on our doorstep with a comparably small membership fee for access to it.
“Leaving the Single Market would seriously hamper our trade relationship with the Republic of Ireland and businesses in Northern Ireland would suffer. The Secretary of State failed to give assurances on the Government’s position on the Single Market.
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She added, “He and his colleagues in the Cabinet, particularly the Secretaries of State for Exiting the EU and International Trade, must take full account of the impact that leaving the Single Market would have on the economy in Northern Ireland.”
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