Boris Johnson has told the European Union there is no need for “drama” as he doubled down on hints he could override elements of his post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.
The prime minister said on Wednesday that the Good Friday Agreement is more important than the Northern Ireland Protocol, as he dismissed suggestions of any possible escalatory response from the EU as “crazy”.
He said the protocol fails to command support from unionists in the region, adding “we need to sort it out”, despite warnings from Joe Biden’s White House and European leaders not to single-handedly meddle with the agreement he brokered.
“No option is off the table”
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is set to tell the EU that the dispute over Northern Ireland cannot drag on, after warning she will “not shy away” from taking action as she accused the EU of proposing solutions that would “take us backwards”.
As ministers consider whether to introduce legislation overriding parts of the deal, senior Cabinet member Michael Gove warned “no option is off the table”.
Northern Ireland Minister for State Conor Burns said on Wednesday evening that the UK Government will have to take unilateral action over the protocol if they cannot resolve issues with the European Union.
Speaking on LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr programme, Mr Burns said: “And if the EU are saying to us that, and they’re not I don’t think yet at the position of saying there’s nothing more to talk about, then we will have to take actions to prioritise stability in Northern Ireland, powersharing in Northern Ireland, to protect the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and that will mean intervention unilaterally, yes.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed “no-one should unilaterally cancel, break or in any way attack the settlement”.
What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why does it have to be renegotiated?
For those confused by the complexities of the agreement, Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell have provided a concise explainer on The Rest Is Politics podcast.
Former Tory MP Stewart, who quit Johnson’s administration over the PM’s approach to Brexit, said that “you have got to put a border somewhere, and it was this fundamental truth that Boris Johnson denied all the way through the election”.
Campbell added that the government is now trying the blame the EU for agreeing to the protocol, “which is the thing that allowed Johnson to say ‘I have got Brexit done’.
Watch the explainer in full below:
Related: Reporter asks Johnson: ‘You must be furious with whoever signed this deal’