Tensions erupted in Boris Johnson’s cabinet on Wednesday as the prime minister prepared to pass legislation that would allow the UK government to break parts of its 2020 Brexit treaty with the EU.
Johnson criticized Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for harassing draft legislation to rewrite parts of the Northern Ireland protocol following pressure from conservative Eurosceptic MPs, according to reporters at the meeting. cabinet ministers.
The protocol governs the Northern Ireland trade agreements and Johnson is pressuring Brussels to accept the changes because of concerns that it has sparked political tensions in the region and unacceptable border friction.
“The Prime Minister is focused on resolving trade issues in Northern Ireland and reaching a negotiated solution,” said an ally of Johnson’s, suggesting that the Prime Minister had become worse off with the issue.
A senior Conservative said Truss seemed intent on a confrontation with Brussels and that legislation to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol was being amended to make it less abrasive and to ensure that the door was left open to a commitment to the EU.
Leaders of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Conservative MPs confirmed that Truss consulted them on the legislation. Johnson’s allies believe Truss is courting the group ahead of a future Conservative leadership candidacy.
Meanwhile, several cabinet ministers demanded assurances that the legislation, which will be published next week, did not violate international law, according to people familiar with Wednesday’s meeting.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who has previously warned of a “worst-case” trade war with the EU, was among those calling for assurances that the UK would not be accused of breaking the law.
His concerns reflect Whitehall’s suspicions about whether new legal advice from Attorney General Suella Braverman would adequately protect the government from allegations of violating international law.
Secretary of State Michael Gove has also expressed concern about the impact of the legislation on the UK’s reputation, said people with knowledge of the situation.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin told MEPs that any unilateral movement in the UK “would mark a historic low, signaling a disregard for the essential principles of the laws that underpin international relations”.
Some senior Conservatives fear legislation allowing changes to the Northern Ireland protocol will lead to more fighting between Conservatives after more than 40 per cent of Johnson MPs refused to support him on Monday in a vote of confidence after the vote. party scandal.
“Now is not the time to bite the bear,” a Conservative official said, referring to the Conservative parliamentary party. “It’s absolute madness.”
A colleague said Johnson was “irritated” that the draft legislation went beyond a government document on the reform of the Northern Ireland Protocol published last year by then-Brexit Minister Lord David Frost. The reworked final version is expected to reflect Frost’s original proposals.
The legislation will allow British ministers to “shut down” parts of the protocol that are believed to be responsible for trade friction and political tensions in Northern Ireland, especially within the pro-UK unionist community.
Under Johnson’s Brexit agreement, Northern Ireland remained in the EU’s single market for goods, allowing the region to trade freely across an open border with the Republic of Ireland. Controls were introduced on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain.
The legislation would allow UK ministers to remove controls on goods going to Northern Ireland that were expected to remain in the region.
Truss’s allies denied that Johnson was angry with her, but some conservative critics of the law believe he could not end up satisfying anyone.
One of the aims of the legislation is to persuade the pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party to rejoin the Northern Ireland government in Stormont.
The DUP is currently refusing to share power with Sinn Féin, the nationalist party that won the May regional elections, as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland protocol.
But Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis told ministers the DUP could continue its boycott of Stormont, acquaintances told Wednesday’s meeting.
Some trade unionists believe that the DUP will maintain its position until the legislation is in the statute.
“It could take a year,” said a Conservative official close to the negotiations. “They don’t trust Boris.”
The House of Lords, predominantly pro-EU, is expected to delay legislation and try to change it heavily.
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