Johnson urges ministers to cool war of words with EU

Prime Minister plays down significance of tampering with the Protocol ‘to avoid trade war with bloc’

BORIS JOHNSON has told his Cabinet ministers to “de-escalate” the war of words with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol to avoid a trade war, The Daily Telegraph understands. The

Prime Minister repeatedly used the phrase in yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, according to those present, as he discussed this week’s legislation to suspend parts of the agreement.

The message was seen as an attempt to urge his colleagues to lower the rhetoric as both Brussels and Washington continue to lobby London not to act alone.

Mr Johnson has publicly said the law introduced to Parliament this week to give the UK the right to unilaterally change the Protocol is not a “big deal”.

But scores of senior legal figures have rejected the Government’s argument that it is lawful to throw out its international obligations due to the “exceptional” pressures being placed on Northern Ireland.

Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, has expressed private fears in recent weeks about the impact of starting a trade war with the EU during a cost of living crisis.

Some ministers believe Mr Johnson is trying to play down the significance of this week’s intervention in an attempt to appease Joe Biden, the US president, who wants talks to continue.

Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign affairs minister, yesterday said that British-irish relations have plunged to the lowest point in a quarter of a century.

He said tampering with the Protocol “is not consistent with international law and the British government’s obligations under international law”.

He added: “That will be shown over time but more concerningly this is a new low in British-irish relations, certainly in the last 25 years.”

The EU could impose fines of more than €1 million (£870,000) per day on the UK over its plans to override the Northern Ireland Protocol.

With tensions mounting over the Government’s move to scrap checks on goods between Britain and the province, the European Commission will today launch three legal cases against the UK for what the bloc has deemed a breach of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

In previous advice drawn up for the possibility of a violation, the EU’S legal service raised the possibility of imposing massive fines on Britain until it comes back into line with its commitments under the deal.

The memo stated the European Court of Justice has “full powers” to hit Britain with a “lump sum or penalty payment” for failing to comply with a ruling of the bloc’s top court.

Meanwhile, Conservative MPS opposed to the new law voiced fresh criticism yesterday. Simon Hoare, chairman of the Commons’ Northern Ireland affairs select committee, said: “There’s the potential here for disquiet to be expressed from both wings of the party.

“There should be a unifying question of ‘is this what the Tory party does?’ This is diminishing and damaging our international reputation.

“Britain has always been seen as a country that if it gives its word, it sticks by it and this is now being deliberately undermined.

“What would we be saying as a party if Labour were doing this? We would be making hay.”

But one Tory MP, who is a member of the liberal One Nation group, said amid potential rebels there was a “wariness of being on the ‘wrong’ end of a Brexit row and how that would be perceived by constituents”.

They admitted “there is an issue to fix with the Protocol definitely” and backbenchers are aware that “the EU is not going to be soft on this so any row in the party will strengthen their hand”.

‘The Protocol isn’t consistent with international law and marks a new low in British-irish relations’