We’re ready to fix post-Brexit border dispute once and for all

BRITAIN is ready to finally “fix” postBrexit arrangements for the Irish border, Boris Johnson said yesterday.

He spoke as ministers prepare to unveil new laws in the Queen’s Speech next month, giving the Government sweeping powers to switch off key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Speaking during his visit to India, the Prime Minister said problems with the deal were “getting more acute” and he would not rule out “taking further steps” to solve the issue.

The protocol – part of the UK’s divorce deal with the EU – is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

But despite months of talks with Brussels over possible changes, no solutions have been found.

Northern Ireland’s unionist parties say the rules hit trade between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

Talked

Mr Johnson said yesterday: “I think it’s very, very simple and I think it’s about the balance of the Good Friday Agreement.

“I think it’s fair to say the protocol really does not command the confidence of a large, large component of the population in Northern Ireland.

“We have to address that, we have to fix that – the very substantial diversions of trade.

“It’s going on and it’s getting more acute.We have to fix that and we can.

“We think we can do it with some very simple and reasonable steps and we have talked repeatedly to our friends and partners in the EU and we will continue to talk to them.

“But as I’ve said many times now, we don’t rule out taking further steps if that’s necessary.”

The Government is reportedly making plans in case of a constitutional crisis if unionist parties refuse to re-enter the province’s power-sharing executive following Assembly elections on May 5.

The legislation would give ministers in London the power to rip up important parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns

‘We don’t rule out taking further steps if necessary’

said the Government already had powers to suspend parts of the protocol under Article 16 of the agreement.

It allows either party to take safeguarding measures if the deal leads to “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade”.

Mr Burns said: “There is significant societal disruption in Northern Ireland due to the way the protocol is being implemented.

“I hope Brussels are listening to this conversation and other conversations. I hope they will come back to the table constructively to allow us to change the protocol to make it work in the way it was intended.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary

Peter Kyle said: “We can improve the protocol, we can smooth it and we can do so without breaking the law and breaking our international treaty we signed with the EU.

“If we just recklessly pull out of it, how will any other country sign a deal with us and think we will honour it?”

A government spokesman said: “No decisions have yet been taken and our overriding priority continues to be the protection of peace and stability in Northern Ireland.”

An EU official said: “Unilateral decisions will never work.

“The EU has pulled out all the stops over the past months and is ready to work further with the UK over the coming weeks.”