Boris Johnson today warned the EU against reprisal in the wake of today’s publication of bills repealing Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements.
The PM downplayed the protocol amendment bill, which was presented to Parliament this afternoon, saying the modifications were ‘relatively minor”,
They are expected to include unilaterally establishing a check-free ‘green route’ for goods heading for Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.
He claimed that following through on threats of trade retaliation would be an “overreaction” by Brussels.
However, Labour has accused the government of breaching the law, and there have been signs of opposition within the Conservative Party, with some MPs distributing a memo saying that the proposal will be extremely harmful to the party’s reputation.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has told the DUP that the legislation would not be activated unless it agrees to restore powersharing.
‘It’s the proper path forward,’ Mr Johnson told LBC. What we must respect – and this is critical – is the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement’s balance and symmetry.
‘We must recognize that in Northern Ireland, there are two traditions, or at least two ways of looking at border issues.’ One community is currently quite dissatisfied with the way things are going and feels very alienated.
‘All we have to do now is fix it.’ It’s quite straightforward to execute, but it necessitates a bureaucratic change.
‘In the broad scope of things, it’s a rather minor set of tweaks.’
Mr Johnson refuted charges that the action violates international law, claiming that “our higher and prior legal commitment as a country is the Belfast/Good Friday Accord, and to the balance and stability of that agreement.”
A trade war, according to Mr Johnson, would be a ‘gross overreaction’ by Brussels.
‘All we’re trying to do is simplify things,’ he added, referring to the removal of economic barriers between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
It would be “preposterous” to retaliate with trade restrictions “when all we are attempting to do is simplify the bureaucracy between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.”
In a phone call this morning, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned Liz Truss that drafting a Bill to unilaterally change the Northern Ireland Protocol would be a breach of international law and would ‘seriously harm’ ties.
‘Our preference is a negotiated solution, but EU must be willing to amend the Protocol itself,’ Ms Truss said after a call with the bloc’s vice-president Maros Sefcovic.
The law will give ministers the authority to override parts of the protocol, which was agreed to by the UK and EU as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement in order to maintain the Irish land border open.
Instead, regulatory checks and customs declarations on products transiting between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland are required under the agreements.
Northern Ireland’s unionists have slammed the international deal, alleging it weakens the region’s position inside the United Kingdom.
Following last month’s Assembly election, the DUP protested by blocking the creation of a new power-sharing government at Stormont.
The Government will seek to amend the provisions of the convention without the agreement of the EU in order to lessen inspections on the flow of goods over the Irish Sea, according to the Bill currently before Parliament.
This might include allowing ministers to eliminate all customs procedures for commodities travelling within the UK, allowing for frictionless movement of agri-food products within the country.
Businesses in Northern Ireland may also be offered the option of following either UK or EU regulations, depending on who they trade with.
Such actions would be a violation of international law, according to the EU, and could result in retaliation from the bloc.
‘Breaking international law to pull up the Prime Minister’s own treaty is detrimental to everything the UK and Conservatives stand for,’ according to an internal note sent to Tory MPs opposed to the Bill, according to the Financial Times.
Mr Lewis has expressed his optimism that the Bill will encourage the DUP to back the re-establishment of Stormont institutions.
He also stated that when the bill is brought to Parliament on Monday, the government will state its legal position on the bill.
‘What we’re going to do is lawful and correct,’ Mr Lewis said on Sky News on Sunday.
‘We’re going to lay out our legal position on this.’ People will recognize that what we’re proposing fixes the protocol’s major flaws.’
‘It does appear that the Government intends to contravene international law,’ said shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.
‘This government appears to be creating a record of breaching the law, and it is not one that the Labour Party can sustain,’ she said.
While Mr Lewis stated that the Government’s “legal position” on the issue would be made public, he also stated that “governments don’t reveal details behind advice given to ministers.”
Downing Street has stated that it will only release a’summary’ of the legal advice it obtained with the public, prompting claims of a ‘cover-up.’
‘The Bill has been agreed by the relevant cabinet committees and will be introduced to Parliament on Monday,’ a No 10 spokesman said on Friday.
‘We will publish a summary of the legal advice alongside the Bill.’
Peter Kyle, Labour’s shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said it is “incumbent on ministers” to release as much legal advice as possible, with “transparency about its origins.”
Alistair Carmichael, a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland, said the public deserves “full clarity” on the plan’s legal foundation, adding that he anticipates a “cover-up.”
‘Well, governments don’t publish details behind advice given to ministers, that’s part of… we have to have that free and open discussion as they’re formulating policy,’ Mr Lewis said on Times Radio when asked why Downing Street was only publishing a summary of the legal advice and not disclosing it in full.
‘However, we will lay forth the Government’s legal stance as well as our process for doing so.’