Gulf widens between Dublin and London over 'solo run' on Northern Ireland protocol

Move prompted foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney to say the UK Government 'could not be trusted'

The British Government's move has been blasted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin whose office said he was not told about the decision during a phone conversation with Boris Johnson 24 hours before it happened.

British frustration with the EU’s refusal to move on the Northern Ireland Protocol led to its unilateral ‘solo run’ on Wednesday, which blindsided the Irish Government.

To palpable anger in Dublin, the UK government said it would unilaterally extend the three-month grace period which exempts British suppliers from providing certain paperwork when shipping food to Northern Ireland supermarkets.