‘Appointment of US Trade Envoy Overdue’ - Swann

Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann has called on the US Administration to appoint a new Special Envoy to Northern Ireland following the announcement of the US-UK Trade Deal.

Mr Swann has written to the US Consul General asking him to work with the Trump Administration to ensure a new US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland is appointed as soon as possible, particularly as the creation and implementation of new trade arrangements is a Signiant priority for the current Administration.

In his letter to the Consul General, Mr Swann said:

“As you know, under the first Trump Administration Mick Mulvaney was appointed as Special Envoy and then more recently President Biden appointed Joe Kennedy III to the role. I would greatly appreciate it if, as Consul General, you could raise with the Administration the importance of ensuring this role is filled so Northern Ireland receives due consideration and recognition as new trade arrangements come into force.”

Earlier this week, the South Antrim MP asked the Trade Secretary about the involvement of the NI Executive in securing the trade deal. Mr Swann asked:

“In his original answer, he said that he had spoken with the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister twice. Were they supportive of the Government’s approach? Did they raise any concerns? How were those concerns mitigated? Did they agree to the final deal? With regard to the EU re-set negotiations of 19th May, are the Government engaging with the Northern Ireland Executive parties?”

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP responded:

“I regularly meet all colleagues across the United Kingdom to keep them updated on matters of trade. Those were specific meetings in relation to what was being negotiated with the US. The final decision on any trade agreement is with myself and the Prime Minister. We do not seek formal agreement per se from colleagues in the devolved Governments, but we keep them informed as to what we are negotiating, the kinds of issues coming up on the other side and how we deal with that. It is not for me to reveal the content of those conversations, but the kind of reasonable concerns being aired in the Chamber today, about how things like the reimbursement system works and the feedback from Northern Ireland businesses, were of course a part of that conversation. We committed again, as I have done here at the Dispatch Box, to work with them on effective solutions to those problems.”

Mr Swann added this afternoon:

“This deal will undoubtedly have a unique impact on Northern Ireland, so ensuring that the interests of our businesses and consumers are recognised and protected is vitally important. The appointment of a new special trade envoy is just one way of doing this – and is overdue. The UK Government must also work closely with the NI Executive so those local voices are heard.”