Boris Johnson has defended government legislation that disapplies parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, which on Monday will face its first hurdle in the House of Commons.
Speaking in Bavaria, where he is attending a G7 summit, the prime minister said: “What we are trying to do is fix something that I think is very important for our country, which is the balance of the Belfast agreement. /Sait Friday. “
He added: “You have a community that feels that things don’t really work out in a way that they like or understand. You have unnecessary barriers to trade from Britain to Northern Ireland. All we’re saying is that you can undo. without endangering the EU’s single market in any way. “
He suggested that the changes that the bill will make possible could be in place by the end of this year.
Deputies will have their first chance later Monday to vote on the bill. Secretary of State Liz Truss has put the UK on a path of collision with the EU by pushing through legislation, which will allow ministers to overturn parts of the deal Johnson signed in 2019.
The Foreign Minister set out her position in an article in the Financial Times on Monday. He said there was “simple logic” to move forward, despite claims that the legislation will violate the free trade agreement the UK signed with the EU.
“We are moving forward with the legislation to solve the specific problems that the protocol is causing by maintaining those parts that work. This is necessary and legal. All other options within the current EU mandate are currently exhausted, ”he said.
Some Conservative MPs plan to oppose the legislation, however, on the grounds that it violates the rule of law. When Truss introduced it to parliament last month, Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland select committee, told him: “Respect for the rule of law is very much in our conservative veins. I find it extraordinary that a conservative government must be reminded of this. “
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The bill would create a “green channel”, free of checks, for goods passing from Britain to Northern Ireland which are not destined for the Republic; allow products to be sold in Northern Ireland under EU or UK rules; and empowering UK ministers to change tax and spending policies in Northern Ireland.
The EU has repeatedly suggested that its own proposals would address many of the worst delays at the Irish sea border, accusing the UK of not participating properly.
Speaking on Sunday, EU Ambassador to the UK João Vale de Almeida called Truss legislation “illegal and unrealistic”. The EU has reacted by restarting legal action against the UK over the protocol.
The UK has said the legislation would not violate international law, on the grounds that the protocol as it is currently being implemented threatens the Good Friday agreement.
The DUP has refused to participate in the distribution of power in Stormont unless the protocol issue is resolved, although it is unclear whether the bill will meet the party’s demands.
The legislation is expected to pass its first hurdle in the House of Commons on Monday, but it is likely to face strong opposition in the House of Lords, which has defeated the government several times in recent months.
Northern Ireland’s shadow secretary Peter Kyle said Labor would vote against the bill “because it is in breach of an international treaty and an international commitment that Britain signed as law”.
He told GB News that everything in the bill “except one or two articles” was “perfectly negotiable” and the government’s decision was “very worrying”.