Northern Ireland protocol unsustainable, Britain warns

Britain signed up to the protocol just seven months ago

In a telephone call on Thursday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen firmly rejected UK prime minister Boris Johnson's plea to renegotiate the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland. File picture

The Northern Ireland protocol is now unsustainable and unworkable, Britain says, despite signing up to it just seven months ago.

British government sources, speaking to the Irish Examiner, admit that while proposals seeking to re-write the protocol are “ambitious”, they are reasonable.

However, Downing Street has been rebuffed for a second time in 24 hours by Brussels in its bid to re-open the document.

In a telephone call on Thursday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen firmly rejected UK prime minister Boris Johnson's plea to renegotiate the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.

British sources have said they are “disappointed” with the swiftness and bluntness of the rejection and said they hoped some flexibility could be shown in the weeks ahead.

Right to renege on protocol

They said that while the British government reserves the right to act in a unilateral fashion and renege on the protocol entirely, it is hoping to reach an accommodation rather than be seen to be issuing threats.

Ms von der Leyen made clear on Thursday that Brussels would "be creative and flexible" over the Northern Ireland protocol "but we will not renegotiate".

Her dismissal came despite Mr Johnson arguing there are "huge opportunity to find reasonable, practical solutions to the difficulties" being experienced in Northern Ireland.

Mr Johnson also extended his diplomatic efforts to German chancellor Angela Merkel, urging her and the EU to "collectively to engage in a constructive and detailed discussion on the UK's proposals".

Mr Johnson made clear the way the protocol was currently operating is unsustainable. Solutions could not be found through the existing mechanisms of the protocol. That was why we had set out proposals for significant changes to it, he said.

British sources have made clear businesses are now facing an unnecessarily large level of bureaucracy on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Grace period

Brexit minister David Frost demanded that significant changes were made to the terms of the deal he negotiated as, he said, 'we cannot go on as we are. File picture

They argue that such problems are existing even during the grace period, due to end in October, and would be unsustainable when the "full fat" set of rules were in place.

The calls came after Brexit minister David Frost demanded that significant changes were made to the terms of the deal he negotiated as, he said, "we cannot go on as we are".

But the Tory peer held back from immediately suspending parts of the deal, despite claiming the UK would be justified to take the dramatic step.

Ms von der Leyen said Mr Johnson "called to present" the proposals to solve the post-Brexit trade issues between Northern Ireland and Great Britain on Thursday morning.

PM @BorisJohnson called to present the UK Command paper on the Irish/Northern Irish Protocol.

The EU will continue to be creative and flexible within the Protocol framework. But we will not renegotiate.

We must jointly ensure stability and predictability in Northern Ireland.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 22, 2021

"The EU will continue to be creative and flexible within the protocol framework.

"But we will not renegotiate," she tweeted.

"We must jointly ensure stability and predictability in Northern Ireland."

"There is a huge opportunity to find reasonable, practical solutions to the difficulties facing people and businesses in Northern Ireland, and thereby to put the relationship between the UK and the EU on a better footing," Mr Johnson said.