Government claims bill overriding Withdrawal Agreement will ‘protect peace in Northern Ireland’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a Cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, ahead of MPs returning to Westminster after the summer recess. Photograph: Toby Melville/PA. - Credit: PA
Downing Street has said new legislation to be tabled this week is intended to provide 'limited clarifications' to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement to protect the Northern Ireland peace agreement.
The prime minister's official spokesman said the government was continuing to work with the EU to resolve the 'outstanding issues' relating to the Northern Ireland protocol intended to ensure there is no return of a 'hard border' with the Republic.
'However, as a responsible government, we cannot allow the peace process or the UK's internal market to inadvertently be compromised by unintended consequences of the protocol,' the spokesman said.
You may also want to watch:
'So we are taking limited and reasonable steps to clarify specific elements of the Northern Ireland protocol in domestic law to remove any ambiguity and to ensure the government is always able to deliver on its commitments to the people of Northern Ireland.'
Most Read
- 1 Government scraps Pick for Britain programme after Brits fill as few as 5% of roles
- 2 Boris Johnson still has questions to answer about Caribbean holiday
- 3 Poll: Laurence Fox in joint last place with Count Binface in race for London mayor
- 4 Ex-minister says Boris Johnson's government is a 'cesspit' where 'almost nobody' tells the truth
- 5 James Dyson moves main address back to the UK
- 6 Russell Kane: Why working class people like Boris Johnson
- 7 Government to dissolve parliament ahead of Queen’s Speech
- 8 Salmon industry insist officials miscalculated post-Brexit export figures
- 9 Brexit regret: Meet the Leave voters who wish they hadn't voted Leave
- 10 Keir Starmer's day will come
A UK official said the legislation was necessary to protect the Good Friday Agreement if the two sides fail to reach agreement on a post-Brexit free trade deal.
'If we don't take these steps we face the prospect of legal confusion at the end of the year and potentially extremely damaging defaults, including tariffs on goods moving from GB to Northern Ireland,' the official said.
Downing Street also said Boris Johnson has told European leaders that progress must be made in the eighth round of Brexit negotiations which begin on Tuesday.
'(Johnson) has spoken with his counterparts on a number of occasions so far, most recently on this issue with Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen and Angela Merkel.
'He is clear that we need to make progress this week.
'We can't be in the same position as we are now by the end of the upcoming negotiating round if we are going to reach an agreement in the time available.
'As the PM is setting out today, there needs to be an agreement by the time of the European Council on October 15 if it is going to be in force by the end of the year.
'Reaching a deal at the eleventh hour is not an option.'
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.