Ex-Northern Ireland first minister threatens legal action over Brexit backstop
Former Northern Ireland first minister Lord Trimble is threatening legal action against the government - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
Former Northern Ireland first minister Lord Trimble is threatening to take the government to court over the controversial Brexit backstop.
Lord Trimble said that he and others are planning to initiate judicial review proceedings over an alleged breach of the Good Friday Agreement.
The former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party - currently sitting in the House of Lords as a Conservative peer - said the proceedings would demand the removal of the protocol on Northern Ireland from Prime Minister Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement.
He said that the backstop should be replaced by alternative arrangements set out in a report entitled A Better Deal and A Better Future authored by Brexiteer Conservative MP Steve Baker and published by the hardline Global Britain group.
A spokesman for Lord Trimble was unable immediately to provide an explanation for the claim that the protocol breaches the Good Friday Agreement.
You may also want to watch:
The former UUP leader was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his part in the negotiations leading to the 1998 Agreement which provided the framework for a return to peace in Northern Ireland following the Troubles.
EU negotiators have argued that, until a broader trade deal is in place, the backstop is essential to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement by preventing the creation of a hard border on the island of 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 Ex-minister says Boris Johnson's government is a 'cesspit' where 'almost nobody' tells the truth
- 4 Poll: Laurence Fox in joint last place with Count Binface in race for London mayor
- 5 James Dyson moves main address back to the UK
- 6 Russell Kane: Why working class people like Boris Johnson
- 7 Salmon industry insist officials miscalculated post-Brexit export figures
- 8 Government to dissolve parliament ahead of Queen’s Speech
- 9 Politics is moving back to a battlefield which does not suit Boris Johnson
- 10 Brexit regret: Meet the Leave voters who wish they hadn't voted Leave
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.