into yuki politics, to examine the latest twists and turns in northern ireland. and the province has no 1st minister and at nor executive, but storm. it continues to fit as a zombie assembly, panting the upcoming elections in me. paul, given his own, does the democratic unionists 1st minister earlier this month in protest over the post breaks at administrative board. and i do see, however, amid maintained crisis in deigning cit, the economy and in europe, the fries ministers, dramatic gesture passed by all but unnoticed. and yet the potential consequences of a brick don't in the northern ireland protocol, not just for northern ireland, but for bricks at britain. i extraordinary. one worst case scenario, it could lead to the disintegration of institutions established by the peace, the course of 20 years ago. unseen britain plunged into an ordeal, breaks it to day, whispered to democratic genius and pete general shannon to find out why the lie

just part in northern ireland has moved or walking the poor to call a red line and then to form an s t l p. leader allison into our knowing when the prospects of restored political stability in the province. but 1st to your tits emails and messages in response to our show on the prospects over trump come back. joe hannon says, i went, i with bill clinton's camping legal advisor. she didn't have a good word to see about american politicians under file pitch arkell society. crypted written says, trump, for me here really got deep control of affairs. i'm boarded actions are needed. robert peachey says the democrats should have had bernie sanders instead. i hope he campaigns. this came around to keith. alexander dixon says, joe biden has within a year, qualified himself as a worse person in history. that is some achievement and friendly grand smith with a message for us all 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. stanford 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 what greater do. likewise, he is in conversation with alex. i'm shannon m people, stamford. welcome back to the alex ivan, 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 and protest about the nice 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. some of those 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, westminster, 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 the

minister isn't there and the assembly and all the 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 gym 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 northern ireland could be said to be out performing every other part of the u. k. so how to start squared off if you have businesses of telling you the protocols a disaster. but the statistics are saying, little annoying, nice economy relative to the rest of 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 co break. but there are and you're right only sending i, i'm a practical person, i get it with me in seconds regularly. and so i'm making a percent of my businesses 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 and, and 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 tip garage 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 to bureaucracy. but if you are pending the whole protocol itself, isn't it possible to, to limit don't to, to make it more practical for your businesses. i wish it was only i wish it was as simple as opting for anybody on the same respectably as well because it made me f. there's issues and company chains and sort of let's do what we have find unfortunately right through this whole process that they use. unfortunately, with the support of the republic of our government as well seem reluctant, they find a methodology of coming, solving the problem is, but instead they, they seem to wish to chastise the kingdom for perpetual part even the you. so where are they? where the, the,

the one in the middle and where the ones camp all the time. so whenever there is practical solutions in place, you refuse to deal. i mean, less trust lot for us before the boss shelton, the prime minister, each and every one of them of tried to find solutions by solutions of a solution. besides my life is always a great solutions. it's not a big difficulty. so but the half dos full around the whole college, but we have not find willingness within the youth. at this moment, i'm going to a difficulty the snow gym with crisis in europe. the cost of living crisis, the phase 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. creating the agenda. not really the best timing to focus attention on the problems we did give government on b e from september,

october of last, but give them almost years to try and sort the spot. right, right. we give the government a north cross and, and this is supposed to be hard to give them a time scale as well. so we've been very patient. so when 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 a nasa was action on movement between the a, you and the u. k, then as far as me were concerned, the normal protocol would lead to potentially to difficulties not tobar rock. we didn't set the time skills, we said that we've been alter, careful and we did it. and we asked the government to come along and support us. they haven't done not yet, we're hoping they will cross the nelson and discussions with them and they will lead to constructive discussions and time to find a solution. the question of the protocol, in your opinion,

be the dominating issue of the elections all. are you hoping to see a settlement before these elections? i'm talking about them as i'd love to see a shipment before the elections, one of the comma a dominant part of the election. so i think certainly is and mean the pools today alex, which has just been released here and the paper this morning show are raised for support for the you pay on a decrease for the support option for, you know, less than 4 percent between the 2 parties. wouldn't take 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 jeffrey don't and that's focus on the north protocol, replicates. illustrates clarity, the opinion of the union as population. let me come to where i begun. listen to view it as a politician, you know,

and for your close to associates markers on trade unions and you're in the ground with 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 if we don't have an ordinary protocol results . we've been tell me, doesn't help us. we can normally, if there is no political, it certainly doesn't have to be murdered. examples of not that we're seconds and presence of contact them in relation to these issues. so why i think the 2 are intertwined. alex, i really, i don't think we can before some, it's not a, it's a point of principle and we feel it is not non protocol. mccants. they are

starting with the number grant and makes us less, less a part of us not constitutionally waste a wasn't going to be the person he was going to sign it off. unfortunate. he's no longer there, but we want to be we often pass not less trust this trust. and my discussions in piercing. i hard with her about a month ago when i am sure. but the european court of justice, the officer, but the nor sites movements and east west movements. 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 nothing with county government to support us. but it was jump shot and after you've experienced in terms of commitment, some undertaking, some bothers johnson and other westminster leaders. do you really trust what you're being towed? hold, and what i would like to belize. alexa, every word that people, politician, tory, ever tell me when all we easily t a commitment. we often see not action yet we often see not the luxury yet. we

don't want to merge alex. we won't be actually honest whenever government delivers the action, which may happen, don't tell, lie, man. then we can also say that, well, the words you get miss or treat we, we stand till we're not there yet. action as always, that own words. it's good to hear the words, but actions much better. tim shalon. thank you so much for joining me once again on the i'll examine, show my pleasure alex frankie and god bless and kesha and kate. well, do jim join us after the break when alex sticks with former social democratic and labor party leader, alistair mcdonald, to find out where the nationalist community spends with unionism in crisis over as british economic lakes was even ah,

ah a wrong one. 03. just don't hold any rules yet to see how this thing becomes the attitude and engagement equals the trail. when so many find themselves will depart, we choose to look for common ground. welcome back. at the end of last year, the financial team to put it on as data as suggesting, the northern ireland economy had assumed unusual position of performing the rest and the key, the suggest that the vehement opposition to the put kaufman dp maybe based on

political principle rather than economic reality. alex pits the question to find the sd lp leader. alistair mcdonough, i was the mcdonald. welcome back to the alex island. sure. thank you for having me . delighted to be with you today. i was still your been for a range of political crisis on island for the years. i would you assess this one is just basically about the elections coming up is about democratic newness politics. what do they huh. a genuine grievance about what seems to be the uk, some regulations of the protocol. well, i think it's a bit of everything yesterday about the elections coming up and people are bracing themselves on the b, u. p. we're in a very weak position because they 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 u. k. a gives northern

ireland the best of both worlds. and i saw lloyd the northerner, the economy, to get the best of both worlds. and deb our tre inferences. what they re sure public has doubled or trebled is. and since that opened up, but equally i still have a good access to the u. k. markets. so we have both with accessible to you and you came arkansas and it's doing pretty well in our economy is doing very well. so you would basically agree with paul monahan, for example, the chief executive of the chamber of commerce, nor lounge who, who says exactly that we're doing well. we've got preferential access, the you came about total access to the e u. that's why the nor nice economies a, 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 forms 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 can 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 rid 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 to political issues and make them a call slap. and paul, given design that a week or so ago the there was hardly a huge, i mean for i resigned this 1st minister scott, that was a major story when collin jones resigned as far as the wales. it was a significant story when to lease a me resigned the prime minister. that was a huge story. but paul, given us a fuss minister resigned and i with the 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, i'll be all right after the elections will addition collect of sugar the shoulders because the various levels of incompetence and aims dormant at the moment. how blend 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 d u p. want to pull it down and shouldn't be in there. they have their own agenda going off in the opposite direction on the various interests that are they are the consensus people in the metal are relatively important and it's, it's sad purchasing nothing to be quite frank. that's not being any by us, not creating any change. it's not meeting people's hopes, so people have given up hope. and, you know, whether paul given us foreign minister or foreign minister, really. not only does it not attract people and the wider world, it doesn't affect people in northern ireland, all that much. it was a dump squib, and people saw it for what it was political maneuvering. you've been a long time advocate and worked for a rock crush long between the constitutional nationalism and modeling unionism in

an island. are there any hopes from that same to grown breakthrough in the coming elections, or will d u p and shouldn't say and get the, the drumbeats of the election campaigns dominating all while they will get the drum beats. i have no doubt, but a lot of people, a lot my friends that might be of a different political line. beloved, non other words union us army hopes at the moment for the bt and the also a unionist party making a recovery. you know, i see the dog is gone out of his way to move the also unionist party into 21st century agenda. okay. as some delicate shop and dine, 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 on the there's a certain amount of momentum or and they also unionist party know whether that's produced as a result or common election. i'm not sure but i would expect that it wouldn't. oh, and your position as a constitutional nationalist is your attitude to snowden. you and your colleagues look at things of moving our way. there's no bond on an 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 pitch and refuses to work with us on, on any sort of a level pitch. i'm done thus for 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 got 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, protect me the unionism of the d, u p. while they in themselves refused to cooperate and to look at position in the republic and the present moment. the relatively new

t shock of the is that attitude a conducive to this realignment you're calling for an and not an island on is a more that can be done from the south to assist in accommodation in the north will at the sites is very helpful. and the department of foreign affairs in dublin is, is very, very powerful and punches way above a suite on the international stage. and they are very, very sensitive to the north on the attempt to work in the north and in various ways that can be construct of a nerve and desperately trying to be helpful. without appearing to annoy unionism on julie. the reality is that the irish government is slowly and steadily doing the decent thing. unmoving, moving us steadily towards our new version and ireland and you agreed ireland. i'm

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

get the most of the effects when the d, u. b unionism generally and the b u p in particular, throw themselves at the think of the british prime minister and to borrow sister on them on the bus a couple of times already and will do so again, you know, bar assign a bar us and we know how unprincipled is we basically and he said for himself and the union officer and chris thought he would play them along when a suit someone's needs them that i think the problem i have is that, that, that the d u p in particular, are trying to cling to a version of the british empire that exists at a 100 years ago, 19 and 20 or even before it got think there's tempting to recreate that or not can be recreated the word just moved on. and that's the difficulty we hear that a lot of these people are refusing to recognize the 21st century. and the

koreans problem far as long term because until they wake up and smell the copy of 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 for fun looking forward? 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,

the hopes are that things will move forward constructively and steadily 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 company piece, 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 their lead nazis, 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 dad, dad 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 examined show. thank you,

alex. 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 it 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 can the official statistics showing the relative performance of the northern ireland economy last year as the best and living memory. this suggests that the vehement opposition to the protocol with places an administer to board in either c is based on the unionist principle. rather than economic experience, although it should be said that jim shannon points to powerful individual examples

of rampant bureaucracy. how do you say in the agreement just over a year ago, the u. k. government no seem intent on revoking it. but the european union and the usa hath thus far made it clear that without the protocol, there is no rex it deal. and so both the union is community, northern ireland and the conservative and unionist party across britain have a choice to make. where the economic realities should overwrite political objectives, whether the essential unity or the nicer kingdom is really worth economic council. but for now, from alex, myself and all of us at issue get by stacy, i'm hope to see you all again next week. ah

huh. oh, it is too much so she must not with her daughter a wall with huh. oh no. in that there was a couldn't walk over to one of them. i'd eat my calendar. i'm all chill now. i don't

know. 1 i just saw the west changes, it's predicted dates of a russian invasion, if you cry enough to february, the 16th by old to materialize. pasco says it's all a fabrication so as to whether the escalation will end on february. the 20th, i don't know because we are not the ones who are escalating, we're not doing this fuel prices in the u. k. so or to record highs, leaving already struggling. household failing. the squeeze is banking, collect some. but the biggest thing in recent times, the praise of everything's going on, i don't see any light. at the end of the tunnel. one is going out a lot quicker than what it used to. and the canadian prime minister is branded a, dictated by opposition role may.