once suspended and following discussion in the Joint Committee, would not happen 'in the absence of a cross-community vote'". Reactions Ireland An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar welcomed the agreement and said: "The Irish Government will do all we can to make these new arrangements work in the interest of people and enterprises in Northern Ireland, here in the Republic of Ireland while protecting the European Single Market and the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the United Kingdom and the Good Friday Agreement." Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald indicated her support for the agreement. Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson's initial reaction to the agreement was one in which he said progress was made in several areas with several obstacles outstanding, adding that the framework would have to hold up to the party's seven tests on a suitable replacement to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Sammy Wilson expressed scepticism toward the Stormont brake, saying that "[DUP MPs] still fear our position in the United Kingdom is not going to be restored". Vice President of Sinn Féin Michelle O'Neill said "I rarely find myself agreeing with a British prime minister but access to both markets has to be grabbed with both hands". Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry and Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Colum Eastwood both expressed concerns about the Stormont Brake and the need for dual access to the UK and European markets. International US President Joe Biden called the framework an "essential step to ensuring that the hard-earned peace and progress of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement is preserved and strengthened". See also Brexit withdrawal agreement References External links Official website (UK)Contains political and legal documents Brexit-related agreements 2023 in British politics 2023 in the European Union 2023 in Northern Ireland February 2023 events in the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak Windsor, Berkshire