A Stormont committee member has criticised the new Secretary of State's assertion that Northern Ireland enjoys the 'best of both worlds' under the Windsor Framework, describing the remark as naive.

Chris Bryant was appointed to the role earlier this week by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, replacing Hilary Benn. In an interview, he said Northern Ireland benefits from being in both the single market and the United Kingdom.

Steve Aiken, UUP MLA, sits on the Windsor Framework Committee, which has continued to meet during the assembly recess. He raised four concerns during a session on Thursday.

He stated that a tax on parcels, previously labelled the 'Alliance Tax', will not be applied. Most non-EU parcels will now move through warehouses in England and Scotland, making them exempt. HMRC is confident this will not be challenged by the EU or member states. But officials are less certain about the impact of an upcoming administration charge.

Mr Aiken also warned that Northern Ireland will be fortunate to avoid the fallout from a dispute between the EU and the United States over the Digital Markets Act. The Trump administration has threatened counter tariffs if the EU fines Google €450 million. He said that even with temporary 10% tariffs in place, a digital trade war could erupt, and Northern Ireland’s position under the protocol meant it would be lucky to escape.

He expressed hope that the new Secretary of State, given his experience, would not be naive enough to repeat the claim that the region has the best of both worlds.