Gavin Robinson says the UK internal border will be gone by autumn - as he challenges the definition of Irish Sea border

Mr Robinson says that while the deal hasn’t achieved the removal of the border in the “internal market” as yet, it will – and that when Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the Irish Sea border was gone, he was indicating what would be achieved, not what had happened “on day one".

The East Belfast MP also made clear what he sees as the removal of the border will happen in autumn – leaving open the prospect of both the DUP and the government claiming the internal border has been removed in the run-up to a general election.

However, nothing in the deal changes the fundamental position that the UK is now split into two regulatory zones, with Northern Ireland effectively in the EU single market for goods, Brussels controlling access to NI in many areas such as animal and plant movements – and with the Irish Sea the de facto border.

The DUP leader has also reiterated the party’s position that the deal will remove all checks in the UK internal market system – and said that will happen in autumn.

Mr Robinson told the BBC on Monday that the Irish Sea border will be gone in the autumn in terms of the UK Internal Market system - or green lane. He also said there will always be checks on the red lane – which he says the DUP don’t recognise as part of an Irish Sea border, something he questioned the definition of.

He also questioned those who "see the red lane as part of an Irish Sea border". "We have always politically said that we are not concerned about goods that are moving through Northern Ireland to the European Union. That's not our concern”, he said. Gavin Robinson said “as constitutional unionists, our issue is [about] what moves within our own country".

Asked if Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had oversold the deal by stating that the Irish Sea border had been removed, the East Belfast MP said "He was very clearly indicating what had been achieved - not what had been delivered on day one". He added: "I think people are very unfair in how they present this. Because he said it wasn't perfect, he said there was more work to be done - said that on behalf of us all and that remains true.

"That is our position. That was our position. And outlining what you have achieved, knowing that it will take time to implement is not unique in political negotiations".

Mr Robinson said that when it is fully implemented, the Safeguarding the Union command paper will remove the border in the Irish Sea - but also questioned the definition of the Irish Sea border. Speaking to William Crawley on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, he said a direction to remove checks will follow the legislative power the Secretary of State took in recent weeks to instruct DAERA officials. The DUP boss said: "It becomes operative within three weeks time. I suspect we will hear in a short number of weeks exactly the steps that government will take in that regard. "In the Autumn, not only will you see a direction that becomes operative - and all checks removed. But similarly there will be changes in postal arrangements. There will be changes in the customs requirements on packages. There will be the ability to move seeds and plants and all the rest". On seeds, for example, the command paper says the Government will ask a new Horticulture Working Group “to address in particular the issue of the movement of seeds to consumers in NI as its first priority, and will ask the Group to report on potential solutions by autumn 2024 as part of the transition to the internal market system”.

However, the EU still sets the rules controlling access for plants and animals. Therefore, the UK government can ask for easements – and some may be agreed – but as reported extensively in the News Letter in recent months it is a matter for the EU what is allowed to enter Northern Ireland.

Asked by William Crawley to be very clear with listeners that the Irish Sea border is still there, Mr Robinson said: "Define it".

He argued that checks on goods destined for the EU does not constitute a border in the Irish Sea.