Brexit news live: NI protocol ‘dead in the water’ says UK

EU says UK is breaking Brexit commerce deal amid Jersey fishing row

The Northern Ireland Protocol agreed as a part of the authorities’s post-Brexit commerce cope with the EU is “lifeless in the water”, a senior ally of Boris Johnson has reportedly claimed, as a big change in tone from UK officers suggests ongoing talks over the mechanism are stalling.

Following obvious threats from Brexit negotiator Lord Frost that the UK may stroll away from the Protocol except Brussels relents from what he referred to as its “purist” method to sustaining the customs border in the Irish Sea, RTE experiences that the Irish authorities is worried by London’s more and more hostile tone in the direction of the protocol – days after a gathering between Taoiseach Michael Martin and Mr Johnson.

Meanwhile, the BBC has obtained a replica of the protocol “roadmap” shared by the UK with the EU, which the broadcaster mentioned revealed the place contentions lay on points equivalent to meals merchandise, medicines, and entry to databases, in addition to a British proposal to part in new Irish Sea border checks on meals merchandise in 4 levels from October.

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John Rentoul: What goes to occur to the Northern Ireland protocol?

In this Politics Explained piece, our chief political commentator John Rentoul appears at the way forward for the Northern Ireland Protocol – because it faces new ranges of criticism from its personal UK architects.

He suggests {that a} current article by Lord Frost – in which the Brexit negotiator claimed the UK had not foreseen that the EU would take such a “purist” method of implementing checks on items coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain – “doesn’t do a lot to dispel the notion that Boris Johnson was so determined to get a deal via the House of Commons that he didn’t care what it mentioned precisely, and thought he may kind out the particulars later”.

And following new DUP chief Edwin Poots laying out his staunch opposition to the Protocol, John explores how a lot of a menace this might pose to its survival – with a lot of this pinned on whether or not unionists can work collectively to safe themselves a majority at Stormont in order to vote to finish the protocol in 2024.

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 11:44

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NI Protocol ‘lifeless in the water’, Johnson ally says

The Sunday Telegraph yesterday cited a senior ally of Boris Johnson as claiming that the Northern Ireland Protocol – agreed between the UK and EU simply months in the past – is “lifeless in the water” and “contravenes the Good Friday Agreement”.

The nameless particular person advised modifications should be agreed with the bloc forward of the peak of the loyalist marching season in two months’ time – a suggestion dubbed “irresponsible” by an Irish authorities supply, in keeping with RTE.

And following a gathering at Chequers on Friday between Boris Johnson and Taoiseach Micheal Martin, a Dublin supply informed Ireland’s nationwide broadcaster that the feedback reported in The Telegraph echoed these heard in the assembly with the prime minister.

“The argument was that the Protocol doesn’t take pleasure in the assist of 1 group in Northern Ireland, subsequently it’s not defending the Good Friday Agreement,” the supply was reported as saying.

“The group that doesn’t prefer it desires it to simply go away as a result of it’s treating Northern Ireland in another way to Britain. That was the line of argument. That’s a giant step away from, to make use of Boris Johnson’s phrase, which he repeated, about ‘sandpapering’ the Protocol. He was clear he was speaking a few honest diploma of change to it.”

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 11:11

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Copy of UK’s ‘roadmap’ for NI Protocol obtained by journalists

The BBC has obtained a replica of the NI Protocol “roadmap” shared by the UK with the EU, which covers greater than 20 separate matters, equivalent to meals merchandise, medicines, and entry to databases.

“Now we will see in black and white the issues with the protocol which were recognized by each side, slightly than counting on leaks and second-hand accounts,” the BBC’s chief political correspondent Adam Fleming mentioned.

He added that “there are loads of points to be resolved, reminding us that agreeing a deal is one factor and implementing it in the actual world is one other”.

The broadcaster experiences that the UK is proposing to part in new Irish Sea border checks on meals merchandise in 4 levels from October.

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 10:48

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‘Red Wall’ seats would have been safer below my management, Andy Burnham says

Andy Burnham has mentioned Labour wouldn’t have misplaced so many seats in its conventional northern heartlands if he had defeated Jeremy Corbyn in the celebration’s 2015 management election, my colleague Conrad Duncan experiences.

The former Labour management candidate made the declare throughout an interview with The Observer, in which he admitted that he would run for the management once more after the subsequent election if he had sufficient assist

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 10:39

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‘Incompetence or unhealthy religion’ in charge for NI Protocol woes, Brexit commentator suggests

Here’s some evaluation from Brexit commentator David Henig on the developments relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol, who suggests the UK authorities’s rising dissatisfaction with the settlement might be put all the way down to “incompetence or unhealthy religion”, or each.

Responding to RTE’s report that the Irish authorities is “involved” by the UK authorities’s more and more hostile tone in the direction of the Protocol, Mr Henig added: “It is feasible, even possible, that the tone is getting worse as a result of the UK authorities shouldn’t be getting what it desires.”

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 10:19

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Andy Gregory17 May 2021 09:57

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New DUP chief says eradicating Northern Ireland Protocol his prime precedence

New DUP chief Edwin Poots has mentioned that eradicating the Northern Ireland Protocol will likely be his prime precedence.

In an interview with the Sunday Life newspaper, Mr Poots – who mentioned he has requested a gathering with Boris Johnson over the concern – mentioned: “We want the EU to recognise this protocol shouldn’t be match for function. It isn’t working and it can’t work and subsequently now we have to return to the drafting board.”

He added: “We are searching for judicial cures to see if we will overcome a few of these areas the place officers believed they’re certain by legislation.

“If there are gray areas and alternatives, we will definitely search to strip away parts of the protocol. But in the end it wants [to be] basically modified [or] eliminated to take issues ahead.”

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 09:42

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Gavin Williamson criticised for ‘galling’ touch upon ‘dead-end’ college programs

The schooling secretary has come in for recent criticism over feedback he made in an article for ConservativeHome which referred to “dead-end programs that go away younger individuals with nothing however debt”.

Speaking to The Independent, the National Union of Students’ vp for increased schooling referred to as the feedback “galling”, accusing Gavin Williamson of displaying a “restricted idea of the function of schooling”.

My colleague Zoe Tidman has the particulars right here:

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 09:22

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Irish authorities ‘involved’ by hostile UK tone in the direction of NI Protocol, RTE experiences

The Irish authorities is reportedly “involved” by Westminster’s more and more hostile tone in the direction of the Northern Ireland Protocol, in keeping with RTE.

Following Lord Frost’s article criticising a “purist” EU in the Mail on Sunday, and a gathering at Chequers between Boris Johnson and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the nationwide broadcaster reported on Monday morning that Dublin is now involved that UK negotiators at the moment are pushing for a whole rewriting of the Protocol.

As tensions rise in Northern Ireland, centred in half round unionist discontent with Brexit, Dublin is reportedly frightened that Lord Frost of elevating expectations the Protocol might be deserted – with RTE quoting an Irish authorities supply as saying: “The threat in that’s that they’re focusing on an final result that isn’t achievable.”

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 09:06

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Brexit commerce deal risking stability in Northern Ireland, Lord Frost says

While a warning from the Lib Dems that the UK’s monetary companies sector is going through peril landed on his desk, Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister was busy issuing a veiled menace that the UK may stroll away from key parts of its Northern Ireland border settlement with the EU except Brussels provides floor in talks.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, David Frost admitted that Mr Johnson’s post-Brexit commerce deal – which he negotiated – has disrupted deliveries of products to Northern Ireland from mainland Britain and put political stability in the province “in danger” and acknowledged that Downing Street did not anticipate the further paperwork and checks which have transpired.

Despite the EU making clear all through negotiations that sustaining the integrity of the single market was a purple line for Brussels, Lord Frost accused the 27-nation bloc of taking an unnecessarily “purist” method to sustaining the customs border in the Irish Sea created by the deal.

Andy Gregory17 May 2021 08:35

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