Britain: Johnson plans to violate Northern Ireland protocol

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce he will violate the obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, one of the key agreements governing the EU’s post-Brexit relations with the UK, according to ITV political editor Robert Preston.

“Johnson intends to say, as far as I understand, that the government will use its legislative powers to violate its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol,” Preston wrote in a post on The Spectator’s website. “It will suspend all border controls on products imported from the UK to Northern Ireland (…) but it will announce it on Friday, not today,” he added.

A British government source said the information was “incorrect”.

Asked about Preston’s statements, Downing Street said: “No decision has been made yet on how to proceed, but the situation is very serious now.”

Earlier, Britain said it would take all necessary measures to protect peace in Northern Ireland and called on the EU to show more flexibility.

London and Brussels have been trying for months to find a solution to the problem. The Protocol essentially established a “customs border” at sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, in order to keep the province’s land border open with the Republic of Ireland, which is a member of the EU. has hinted that part of it could be unilaterally suspended if it does not reach a new agreement with the EU. Brussels, however, is proposing limited changes within the framework of the existing agreement.

This stalemate is also blocking the formation of a new government in Northern Ireland following last week’s election. The nationalist Sinn Féin, which accepts the Protocol as the party’s goal is the unification of Ireland, won the election. But it will have to form a government with the conservative Democratic Union Party (DUP), which argues that the Protocol erodes the province’s ties with the rest of the United Kingdom. DUP leader Jeffrey Donalson told the BBC he had spoken to Johnson today, who understood that the current situation was unsustainable.

In a telephone conversation earlier with his Irish counterpart Michol Martin, Johnson said the situation was now “very serious” and that the European Commission had not taken the necessary steps to address the economic and political upheaval. Martin said he warned Johnson not to take unilateral action. The same warning was addressed by German Chancellor Olaf Solz.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ