Emergency talks between the UK and EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol will take place on Thursday as ministers consider whether parts of the post-Brexit deal should be replaced.
The UK’s Justice Secretary Suella Braverman is said to have approved the removal of parts of the deal, giving Boris Johnson legal cover to make the move, despite warnings from Joe BidenThe White House and European leaders do not intervene alone on the terms.
And in the next few hours, Foreign Minister Liz Truss will call European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, where she is expected to tell him the dispute cannot last.
On Wednesday, the prime minister said the Good Friday Agreement is more important than the Northern Ireland Protocol because he dismissed suggestions of any possible escalating response from the European Union as “insane “.
He said there was no need for “dramatic” as he doubled down on suggestions that he could override elements of the deal.
Ms Truss has warned that she will “not shy away” from action as she accuses the EU of proposing solutions that could “take us backwards”.
According to The Times, Ms. Braverman advised that the protocol replacement law would have legal effect because of the “disproportionate and unreasonable” way the EU has implemented it.
She submitted evidence accusing the EU of undermining the Good Friday Agreement by creating barriers to trade in the Irish Sea, while also warning of “social unrest” in Northern Ireland, the paper said. .
There is thought to be a rift in the Cabinet over the move, with Ms Truss, Ms Braverman and Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said to be supportive, while Chancellor Rishi Sunak is concerned about the impact on with the economy.
Explainer:
What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why is it important?
There have been suggestions that the UK’s unilateral action could spark a trade war amid the invasion of Ukraine.
But Mr Johnson told BBC News on Wednesday: “Let’s face it, we’re talking about really, in the scheme of things, a very, very small part of the entire European economy, and I think 0.4% of the value of the entire EU economy is in Northern Ireland.
“It’s crazy. I don’t think it needs to be filmed. This is something that just needs to be fixed.”
‘The schoolyard is tit-for-tat’
Speaking to ITV’s Peston programme, Mr Rees-Mogg said the UK would not be involved in any trade war with the EU.
“That kind of retaliation is school economics and it’s going to hurt British consumers at a time when prices are so high,” he said.
Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns said on Wednesday evening the UK government would have to take unilateral action on the protocol if it could not resolve the issues with the EU.
Speaking on LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr, he said: “If the EU is telling us that, but they’re not saying so, I don’t think, but in a position to say there’s nothing more to say, then we will have to take actions to prioritize stability in Northern Ireland, power sharing in Northern Ireland, to protect the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, and that means intervention. unilaterally.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said: “No one should unilaterally cancel, disrupt or attack the settlement in any way.”
The White House stressed the need for talks to continue to resolve the issues, with a spokesman saying: “The best way forward is a pragmatic path that requires courage, cooperation and leadership.” religion.
“We call on the parties to continue to engage in dialogue to resolve differences and bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion.”
UK government ‘adheres to its rights’
Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson reiterated his call for the government to act.
He told Sky News show The Take With Sophy Ridge: “The protocol is harming Northern Ireland, it’s harming our economy, it’s undermining political stability here, so I think in those circumstances, and to protect the Belfast Agreement or Good Friday and political institutions, the UK government has the right to act in these cases.”
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove stressed on Wednesday Mr Sefcovic and the foreign minister had a “good relationship”, adding: “They will try to make progress tomorrow.”
Officials working for Ms Truss are drafting a bill that would unilaterally remove the need for checks on all goods sent from the UK for use in Northern Ireland.
The proposed law would allow businesses in Northern Ireland to defy EU rules and regulations and remove the power of the European Court of Justice to rule on matters relating to the region.
Crucially, it would partially override the protocol agreed to by Mr Johnson in 2019 and mean the UK has breached its obligations under the Brexit deal.
But it has been argued that the protocol will not be completely ignored, with measures being considered to ease problems on the ground in Northern Ireland.
