NORTH Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has issued a stark warning of 'anger, concern and bewilderment' from Northern Ireland citizens because of the protocol protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Paterson, who is a former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, posted a video to his social media where he stated his concerns regarding the impact on everyday life that he believes is caused by the protocol, agreed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for people living in the country.

The agreement was put in place as a temporary measure after the UK officially left the European Union (EU) but problems have since arisen, with fears that it has effectively created a border in the Irish Sea with the requirement that certain goods moving between Northern Ireland and other UK countries are checked.

Mr Paterson believes it is vital that a better, permanent solution is delivered soon with fears that further confusion may lead to anger among people living in Northern Ireland.

He said: “I go there still on a regular basis having been the Secretary of State and I’m detecting real concern and a sense of bewilderment in Northern Ireland.

“Businesses are having trouble getting materials, basic products are not available in shops – not just foods, but gardening equipment and other elements of everyday life.

“My concern is that this sense of bewilderment is turning into anger, and I think that is justified.

“The people of Northern Ireland are now in a very different constitutional place than before the protocol.”

The protocol has impacted the amount of some goods being brought into the country, leading to shortages of some foods and other essential items in shops.

Mr Paterson abstained from voting for the UK Government’s withdrawal agreement in December 2020, with one of his reasons being that the protocol would mean Northern Ireland was ‘not properly leaving the EU’.

He believes the country is being treated differently to England, Wales and Scotland by having to adhere to certain regulations enforced by the EU.

The North Shropshire MP explained that the low percentage of trade from Northern Ireland going across to the Republic of Ireland, and vice versa, should not be causing so much of a problem.

He added: “All of this goes back to the issue of the border which is always hugely exaggerated by those who wanted the UK to stay in the European Union.”