UK should act unilaterally to ensure Northern Ireland free trade - DUP

BELFAST (Reuters) - The British government should act unilaterally if the European Union does agree to ease the flow of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland, the head of Northern Ireland's largest political party said on Wednesday.

"If Brussels is deaf to the problems, then our own government must act unilaterally to protect Northern Ireland," Democratic Unionist Party leader Edwin Poots said in a statement after Britain and the European Union failed to agree any solutions at a meeting in London.

"We need the NI Protocol to be removed," said Poots, referring to the section of Britain's European Union withdrawal agreement that imposes restrictions on Northern Ireland trade.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; editing by James Davey)