British government plans new legislation to override Brexit withdrawal agreement-report

Brexit trade talks have stalled in recent weeks between Britain and the EU. Picture: PA

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is planning new legislation to override critical parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. 

According to reports in the Financial Times the British government is planning to introduce new legislation that will remove the legal force of sections of the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol. 

Brexit trade negotiations have been rumbling in the background in recent weeks with talks stalled reportedly on fishing waters access rights and state aid regulation. 

Reaction to the media reports was swift with Minister for Foreign Affair's Simon Coveney tweeting this evening that it would be "unwise" for Britain to proceed with the planned legislation. 

This would be a very unwise way to proceed. #Brexit .
https://t.co/D4aod2665h

— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) September 6, 2020

Sinn Féin MP for South Down Chris Hazzard said the British Government was playing a "dangerous game of chicken" with the Brexit negotiations.  

British government playing dangerous game of chicken over Brexit - @ChrisHazzardSF https://t.co/QhguzCcIE4 pic.twitter.com/sRn6Y8nix8

— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) September 6, 2020

Last week the European Union's  (EU) Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that the UK risked leaving the EU without a trade deal by refusing to compromise in an address to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin. 

However, the UK hit back at Mr Barnier's warning by stating the EU had adopted an "unrealistic" position and that he was painting a “misleading representation” of the UK’s post-Brexit proposals. 

Informal talks last week between Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost failed to find a breakthrough ahead of the eighth round of formal negotiations which begin in London this week.

Withdrawal Agreement 'must be honoured' - Leo

The Tánaiste has said a certain amount of saber-rattling is often seen at this stage of high stakes negotiations like the Brexit talks.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said domestic UK law can't undermine the protections for the border with Northern Ireland contained in the Withdrawal Agreement: At this point of negotiations, you see a certian level of saber-rattling and a certain level of posturing. Our response to this is going to be measured. The Withdrawal Agreement is an international treaty and it must be honored and no domestic law and trump an international treaty."

Meanwhile Labour Brexit spokesperson Brendan Howlin described the British government's actions as "astonishing": “It’s difficult to believe the British government could expect to progress with important negotiations on a trade agreement with the EU and at the same time repudiate the most recent withdrawal agreement freely entered into by Boris Johnson and ratified by his government."

“One can only hope that it’s an extraordinary and bizarre tactic in the trade talks, and or perhaps the UK has entered the world of Trump where they will announce something one week but do something completely different later on," he added.