UK Prime Minister Declares Need to Alter Brexit Deal on Northern Ireland
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that his government will move to change parts of the Brexit agreement if the EU doesn't engage in dialogue on revising the Northern Ireland protocol. In a May 16 piece for the Belfast Telegraph, Johnson said there will be a "necessity to act" if the EU doesn't change its position. The column came ahead of the prime minister's May 16 visit to Northern Ireland and after comments from U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said that parts of the agreement could be overridden (see 2205120014).
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Signed in 2020, the protocol has led to checks on U.K. goods crossing the Irish Sea. Scrapping the agreement raises the prospect of a trade war, though Johnson said "there is without question a sensible landing spot in which everyone's interests are protected." In response, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told Sky News there would be consequences if the U.K. abandons the Northern Ireland protocol.
Truss is set to present plans to use domestic legislation to amend the Brexit deal, proposing a separate customs lane for goods going to Ireland in a bid to end checks solely for internal trade between the U.K. and Northern Ireland, Bloomberg reported. Truss also wants Northern Ireland to abide by U.K. standards and tax rates.
"I hope the EU’s position changes," Johnson wrote. "If it does not, there will be a necessity to act. The Government has a responsibility to provide assurance that the consumers, citizens and businesses of Northern Ireland are protected in the long-term. We will set out a more detailed assessment and next steps to Parliament in the coming days, once I return from discussions with the local parties."