The Protocol/Windsor Framework remains a contested feature of Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The continuation of key elements of the unique arrangement are subject to the ‘democratic consent’ of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.  Their first vote is expected to be held before the end of the year.

In a recent blog post for Pivotal, Institute Fellow: The Politics and Security of Institutional Peacebuilding, Professor David Phinnemore explains what the ‘Democratic Consent Vote’ entails and considers the different possible outcomes.

The Public Policy Forum NI Limited - Pivotal - is an independent public policy think tank for Northern Ireland.  Launched in September 2019, Pivotal aims to be a future-focussed, ambitious and innovative voice, promoting the use of evidence and research in order to improve policy decisions in Northern Ireland. Pivotal is independent of government and has no political alignment.

Read the blog here.

 

Professor David Phinnemore

Professor Phinnemore is Professor of European Politics in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics.  He is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading academic experts on the European Union and Brexit, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland.

Professor Phinnemore’s research interests include the politics and processes of the EU in relation to withdrawal, enlargement, association agreements and treaty reform.  He has extensive knowledge and understanding of the EU position on UK withdrawal, the issues facing Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland, and the options for delivering on ‘flexible and imaginative solutions’ to address the unique challenges that Brexit poses for Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland.

The featured image has been used courtesy of a Creative Commons license.