Stormont is refusing to supply evidence for its claims that Northern Ireland benefits from UK and EU ‘dual-market access’.

The Department for the Economy and Invest NI have batted away questions from the News Letter with waffle about how it will take time to “raise awareness”.

Invest NI previously turned down a similar request under the Freedom of Information Act, claiming other investment agencies could use it “to diminish our position”.

If the measure of success is foreign direct investment, it appears to have declined, according to analysis from the big four accountancy firms. Ulster University economist Dr Esmond Birnie says this suggests “quite a lot of economic pain for little gain”.

Letter: ‘Gregory Campbell shouldn’t be allowed to rewrite history’

Newton Emerson: Dual-market access is oversold and deeply flawed

Although Northern Ireland’s private sector is booming, the exception is manufacturing, the only area covered by dual-market excess.

There is one clear advantage to our unique post-Brexit limbo but it is an accident waiting to happen. Most staff recruited here can work in both the UK and the EU, a crucial benefit to industries such as haulage and entertainment, as is sometimes reported. Less noted is how........

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