joe biden has within a year qualified himself as the worst person in history. that is some achievement. and finally, grant smith, where their message 1st, oh says biden will lose for the same reason. labor will lose the forgotten where they come from. now jim shannon, the d. p member of palmer 1st stradford is one of the most active en piece in the house of commons. his party leader jesse donaldson, m p is likely to stand for the assembly. but well, let's proven, won't get her. do likewise. he is in conversation with alex shannon and people, stamford. welcome back to the alley, simon. show a great place to be by going and with master. we talked for the way, but we'll catch up again just now. i did explain to paul given the nice 1st minister resigns in protest about the noise protocol, but the assembly the parliament installment keeps on what came and heard this out. or what could that catch on at westminster assembly with no government?

i think we also look at a process where we are alex and i think we are where we are because all governments reluctance or difficulties are they to do something in relation to the northern protocol. so we felt we do feel us and discussions of hob with my constituency. so maybe the presence of told us that the northern protocol is not working. union has contacts my constituents every day, contact me about this as well. so we felt we were at a point where we had to do something, so we did what we did. what does it do? try to put pressure on the government westminister to take an initiative, for instance, to initiate article 16. to ensure that the discussions between the u. k. government, on the e, are much more constructive and positive, which we do not feel that they are at those mean at the north assembly. an

executive cannot meet because the 1st minister zane assault of the minister is any ne deputy minister automatic. they resigns as well. but it does mean that they minister isn't there, and the assembly and all their arguments can continue with the legislative work done on the papers are not and so on. when i catch on it at westminster, i'm thank very much on it, and it's not the right way to govern, but it is a methodology that we have in place to try and address by, by help leon. okay, construct an ordinary political issue. well, you might suggest it to the prime minister of them shot and i had no, i know, i know you might very well do that. but i was interested in when i asked you about the protocol, you go immediately to practicality because you, i strong reputation as a pragmatic politician, you talk about the economy and what your businesses are saying to you. but we've had evidence official statistics from the when,

as showing that the norm managed to cover the from a from cove. it has been quick of an annual of part of the united kingdom. it must be many, many years since north island could be said to be out performing every other part of the u. k. so how does that squared off if you have businesses of telling you the protocols a disaster, but the statistics are saying, look nice economy relative to the mesh the company is doing well. how does that come together? i think we have seen a bit of a spring and your response to the co with making a break. but there are and you're right only sending, i'm a practical person. i get it with me in seconds regularly. and so what i'm making a percent of maintenance is just tell me that the protocol not not protocol is preventing them from treating to the way that they would apply badges. and i can say that on able to trade with, with the, in it,

it can in the cause of may be rocker state the cause of each additional cost. so so i would suggest that maybe i recovery in north america would have been more spec, tighter and even more positive. if we didn't have the non political red pepper bread pip? garak said on tarzan, please. couldn't you persuade, using your influence and pressure and the european union to get rid of some of these are probably necessarily a elements bureaucracy, but up ending the whole protocol itself. isn't it possible to, to limit don't to make it more practical for your business. i wish it wasn't like, i wish it was as simple as i've been on. i mean, for anybody, all the same respectably as well. because i mean, there's issues and the company chains and sort of let's do what we have phone unfortunately right through this whole process. that's a, unfortunately, was the support of the republic of our government as well seem reluctant they find

a methodology of coming, solving the problems, but instead they, they seem to wish to chastise in a kingdom for, for breakfast. and part, even though you were, they were the, the, the one in the middle where the want to change all the time. so whenever there is practical solutions in place, the, you refuse the mean less trust. lot for us before the bar shelton, the prime minister, each and every one of them of tried to find solutions. i swung by solutions of a solution besides my life is always solutions is none of the difficulties of the half dos full around the whole cost. but we have not find the willingness within the a you to at this moment, a difficulty the snow gym with crisis in europe. the cost of living crisis, one, your constituents, the downing state crisis, which you've spoken about so eloquently in the, in the house of commons. the northern irish crisis, the crisis of politics, the resignation of the 1st minister is not getting enough bandwidth because of so

many other things. kind of the agenda. it's not really the best timing to focus attention on the problems we did get government on the from september, october of last, but give them almost 2 years to try and sort the spot. right. right. we give the, the government norm for austin and this is supposed to be hard to give him a time scale as well. so we've been very patient. so we come to a stage where they, they, the lines massage, where they, where the lane and the road and so to speak. and we re, one government. we want to make sure that unless there was action on movement between the a, you and the u. k. then as far as me were concerned, and normative protocols would lead to potentially to difficulties not tobar rock. we didn't set the time skills, we can shut the die. we've been careful and i did it. and what type of government to come along and support us. they haven't done not yet,

we're hoping they will cross that lesson on questions with them and they will lead to construct of discussions and trying to find a solution. the question of the protocol, in your opinion, be the dominating issue of the no, not the elections. all, are you hoping to see a settlement before these elections? i may turn them aside. love to see a shipment before the elections, one of the comma dominant part of the election. so i think certainly is. and when the poor and a alex has just been released here and the paper this morning, show a raise for support for the be you'd pay on a decrease for the support option for you know, less than 4 percent between the 2 parties. i wouldn't take very much more an election company and they give us a party what they shouldn't feel hopefully overtake them in the pool. so i figure and i agree with the party leader and jeffrey bold focus on the north. political

replicates illustrates clarity, the opinion of the union of population. let me come to where i begun. listen to view it. as a politician, you're known for your close to say to associate markers on trade unions and if to the ground both businesses and, and all nyland. but you're also a democratic union. the opposition to the protocol, a matter of political principle, more the economic necessity. i'm interested in this point because your politics of always been shaped by what's best for your constituents. well, i think it's best for my constituents. we don't have an order protocol results with and tell me. doesn't help us. we can normally, if there is a protocol, it certainly doesn't give the murder examples of not that we're seconds of contact me and listen to these issues. so i, i think the 2 are trained alex,

i really, i don't think we're going to force them. it's not a, it's a point of principle and we feel it is not known protocol gifts. they are starting with the number of press and organize and makes us less, less a part of us not constitutionally waste, wasn't going to be the person who has been a st off. unfortunate. he's no longer there, but we want to be we often pass not less trust. let's trust. and my discussions in prison. i hard with her about a month ago when i asked her, but the european court adjusted the officer. but the nor sites movements are nice with me, but again, this process all over things, but we want to transfer these words and the action. so that's where we are. and we're getting everyone county for st. problem to support us, but, and want jump shot. and after you've experienced in terms of commitment, some undertaking, some balls, johnson and other westminster leaders. do you really trust what your big old and

works? i would like to believe alex, every word the people, politicians are ever telling me will always lead to that commitment. we often see not action yet we often see not the liberty of we don't want more jocks, we want the action on this. whenever a government delivers the action, which they hobbins on pell light, then then we can also say that when the words you get, those are treat, we stand till with for the to happen. not there yet. action is always better than words, so it's good to hear the words, but actions much better. tim shalon, thank you so much for joining me. once again. malik salmon show my pleasure, alex, thank you, and god bless you for like a well there, jim. joining us after the break when alex dixon for my social democratic and labor party leader allison macdonnell, to find that with a nationalist community stands with them in crisis over its british economic lakes . we'll see that

the this is my status. you must i who am i doing a walk with a walk over to one of the id

my calendar on chill now to go to a it's been 30 years since the soviet union collapsed. um miss gotta go to chill on to what the talk so shown where you also trust on one caller from ukraine was one of the independent states that emerge from the ruins of a supervisor or somebody who you also get on greens. come on board. the charlotte, she was a watch at the past 3 decades when likely ukraine, eye witnesses recall the events. there should be more with it or what i

knew about it. i'm not sure, but about 4 months with no idea what else? what other forces were at play? you have to do the room show in sure. machine, those them you robin the kid. what is a lease? take a look at you. great. 30 years after gaining independence, you talk with us for dinner. listen, we're here to get recorded live with a welcome back. at the end of last year, the financial team to put it or in a status suggesting the northern ireland academy had a student, an unusual position of performing the rest of the key. this suggests that the vehement opposition to the protocol from the d p,

maybe based on political principle rather than economic reality. alex puts a question to former s t o p leader, alistair mcdonald. i was mcdonald, welcome back to the alex simon show. thank you for having me. the latest to be with you today. i still have been for a range of political crises on island for the years. i would you assess this one is just basically about the election was coming up. is a boat democratic union as politics? what do they have a genuine grievance about what seems to be the uk some regulations of the protocol? well, i think it's a bit of everything. yes, it's about the elections coming up and people are bracing themselves on the b, u. p. we're in a very weak position because they had devoured each other and they're still very split internally. the dilemma for all of us is the basically, the arrangement, the protocol arrangement that has been made between the,

the u. k. a gives northern ireland the best of both worlds. and as i load the northern i or the economy to get the best of both worlds and our trade, for instance, what they, i wish your public has doubled our trouble. it is said since that opened up. but equally i still good access to u. k. markets, so we're both that accessible to you and you came arkansas and it's doing pretty well in our economy is doing very well. so you're basically agree with paul monahan, for example, the chief executive of the chamber of commerce. not allowed who, who says exactly that we are doing well, we've got preferential access to the you cable, the total access to the e u. that's why the nor nice economy is a land of opportunity. and yet, individual businesses quoted by jim shannon, for example, say look at, you know,

we're finding, you know, we've got to felon 20 forums to, to, to export era of stuff to our own country. he can see the point of view. there is, nope, no doubt that there are issues there and on basically that in order to maintain the bipartisan, if you'd like, or the double benefits, there will be some losers. but though those losers are those people that have extra burdens of paperwork and all the rest are in a very small minority. and of the i talked to tells me that there are benefits and great benefits on red opportunities. and the difficulties can be and will be ironed out of those with the difficulties, basically are prepared to work out them and discuss them. so, you know, at where there's a, well, there's a way, the problem is this, that there has been a major effort by the democratic unionist party to turn the various difficulties

that can be solved and to issues that can't be solved and, and to political issues. and and make them a cost slap. and paul given resigned a week or so ago the there was hardly a huge. i mean, when i was saying this 1st missed the school and it was a major story when collin jones resigned as far as the wales, it was a significant story, went to lisa may resigned this prime minister. that was a huge story. but paul, given us a fuss minister resigned and i with non island the wasn't really that much of a, a splash of publicity about is that because of so many other issues going on or is a collective shrunk of the shoulders and saying, well, be all right, after the elections will addition collect of sugar the shoulders because the various levels of incompetence am storm and at the moment how bland the public to become disillusioned and disconnected the

public have no great aspirations or no great hopes for storms on the reason for that is that, you know, the b, u, p, want a bullet don't and shouldn't be in or they're, they have their own agenda going off in the opposite direction on the various interest that are, they are the consensus people in the middle are relatively important. and that it's, it's sad purchasing nothing to be quite frank. that's not bobbing anybody us not creating any change. that's not meeting people's hopes. so people have given up hope. and you know, whether paul, given us foreign minister, or as the 1st minister, really not only does it not the attack people and the wider world, it doesn't affect people in northern ireland all that much. it was a dump squib. and that people saw it for what it was political maneuvering have been a long time advocate and worked for a rock crush long between the constitutional nationalism and modeling unionism in

nyland. are there any hopes from that center grown breakthrough in the coming elections for will? do you pay attention fame? get the, the drumbeats of the election campaigns dominating all while they will get the drum beats. i have no dog, but a lot of people, a lot. my friends, that might be of a different political line, beloved undone, other words, unionists are great hopes at the moment for the bt and the union, a party making a recovery and you know, i see the dog is gone. it was way to move the also unionist party into 21st century agenda. okay. is some good shopping dining, but he is spectacularly recruited a significant number of people who were if you like from the same gene pool,

but we're not formally members of the also unionist party and that there's a certain amount of momentum arrendale. so unionist party, now, whether that's produced as a result in common election. i'm not sure, but i would expect that it wouldn't in your possession as a constitutional nationalist is your attitude to snowden. you and your colleagues look at things of moving our way. there's no borderland island, the file and the, the moving fade between the, the, the so from the north that is one of the ingredients of this. a rather ruthie economic position relative to everyone else at the present moment. a so live based on what we've got to do is no upset. the apple cup sit tight and wait for his thin economics. the tape of course, is that your position or do you think there's something else that needs to be done? well, there's an element of doc there, but that's a passive position. and if we're going to make progress on the 21st century on this

island, we have to do it proactively. there has to be a proactive engagement and there has to be an accommodation for everybody. and the difficulty we have always had from a national perspective, is that a unionism, some quite often lifts the ball and ticks it off the pinch and refuses to work with us on, on any sort of a level pitch about. that's where the b, u. p. are doing at the moment, i want to see a progress in terms of a new ireland and agreed ireland. but i also want that ireland to be a warm home for those who have traditionally been unionist. and i think that's the big challenge facing us is how to accommodate unionism, particularly the unionism of the u. p. while they themselves refuse to cooperate every look at the session and the republic and the present moment. the relatively

new to show our gratitude conducive to this realignment you're calling for and, and northern ireland autism more that could be done from the south to assist in accommodation in the north when the site is very helpful under the part of the foreign affairs in dublin, is, is very, very popular punches we abolish weight on the international stage. and they are very, very sensitive to the north and they attempt to work in the north and in various ways that can be constructed. and they're desperately trying to be helpful without appearing to annoy unionism on. julie reality is that the irish government is slowly and steadily doing the decent thing and moving, moving us steadily towards i knew action and ireland i knew agreed ireland. i'm not

quite sure how that will work out. there's a lot of the bit a lot of discussion to be had, but i think they risk government are doing as much as they can. no unionism would say, unionism would accuse the irish government have not been engaged enough for not doing this or not. but you know, these things are on a spectrum, a continuous spectrum. and you can demand more engagement today and then deny and not one that's engagement tomorrow, it has to be consistent. and i, i honestly think that there's an, a substantial degree of consistency coming in from the irish government. and how about the british government and from a democratic unionist perspective, they would have plenty of reason in the recent past not to trust bought us johnson . or are they going to put the, the trust once again in the u. k. government to get them out of the fix,

o d u b unionism generally in the b u. p. in particular, throw themselves at the feet of the british prime minister on to borrow since thrown them under the bus a couple of times already on will do so again, you know, borrow assign who bought us. and we know how unprincipled is you know, we basically had said that we start from self and the unionists are an afterthought. he would play them along when it suits him when he needs them. but i, i think the problem i have is that, that the d u p in particular, are trying to cling to a version of the british empire that existed a 100 years ago. 1020, or even before it. i'm not thinking there's tempting to recreate that and that can't be recreated the words moved on. and that's the difficulty we have here that a lot of these people are refusing to recognize the 21st century on the lot that

creates problem for us in the long term. because until they wake up and spend the coffee at the 21st century, we're all at a loss. we're all of the technician stage. this will tell us what would be a greatest fear for not. and i would looking forward to the elections and man and also what would be a greatest hope of a fun looking fault? well i, i feel my greatest hope is that we get ourselves together. and we make northern ireland work on we saw the bread and butter issues. and when we have a prosperous functional community, then we can talk about what degree we are part of the u. k. what degree we are part of a new ireland and all of that thing, but a dysfunctional economic basket case is no good to know nobody and nobody will want us. so, you know, the hopes are that things will move forward constructively,

unsteadily and solely. we've come a long way since the good friday agreement to 90 it. it's a lot slower than i would like. but i would like to think that would begin to gather speed. and the people that we have elected to the assembly would find ways and means of working together. cross community lines, you can't make peace. there's no point in making peace with your friends. you have to make peace with your opponents, with your enemies politically under. that's the big challenge and i think in the early days, post good friday agreement and the early days of the north american assembly in there in the northeast. even though there was a lot of turbulence, there was a lot of cross party communication and dialogue which allowed things to happen on the economic front on the house front. and i dont seems to be missing at the moment and i saw that we have to get that back. i'll swing donal, thank you so much for joining me once again. the male examiner. thank you,

alec. wonderful to be with you. keep up the good work. the president of northern islands chamber of commerce said on the 21st of november last year, 70 percent of our members believe that northern islands, unique status presents opportunities for the region. this is because, unlike that rest of the u. k. businesses, those in northern ireland still have unrestricted access to the e use huge single mike. it forgets then came the official statistics showing the relative performance of the northern ireland academy last year as the best and living memory. this suggests it the vehement opposition to the protocol with place of an administrative board. an irish c is based on a unionist principle rather than economic experience. although it is said that jim shannon points to powerful individual examples of rampant bureaucracy. having seen

the limit just over a year ago, the u. k. government no seem intent on evoking it, but the european union and the usa have thus far made it clear that without the protocol, there is no rex it deal. and so what the union is community northern ireland and the conservative and unionist party across britain have a choice to make where the economic realities should override political objectives . or whether the essential unity or the united kingdom is really worth the economic candle. but for now, from alex myself as all of us additional. goodbye stacy, i'm hope to see you all again next week. ah.

for all those driven by dreamers shaped bank. concur some of those with there's things we dare to ask in so what we've got to do is identify the threats that we have. it's crazy implementation. let it be an arms race is on often very dramatic development. only personally and getting to resist. i don't see how that strategy will be successful

. it's very difficult time to sit down and talk with from r t this our russia says us officials have hypnotized themselves into believing their own full. so over a russian invasion of ukraine, that didn't happen. federal prices in britain sort of record highs, leaving already struggling households for building the squeeze. those bankers collect some of the biggest bonuses seen in recent times. the parents of every go. now i don't see any in like the end of the tunnel one, he's going out a lot quicker than what we've used. while the american media continues its own floor against russian figure skating star criminal value. but we look at similar cases of us athletes testing positive for performance enhancing drugs with.