Boris Johnson is preparing to set aside some of the Northern Ireland Brexit arrangements in a high risk move that could lead to a row with the EU and lead to further accusations that the UK is breaching international law.
The prime minister told reporters in India that the UK is ready to take measures if necessary to fix the deal with the EU governing post-Brexit trading arrangements with Northern Ireland.
The prime minister claimed that the protocol for Northern Ireland does not command the confidence of a large part of the population in the region.
The protocol does not command the confidence of a large part of the population in Northern Ireland. Johnson said at a news conference in Delhi that we have to address that, and we have to fix that.
We think we can do it with some simple and reasonable steps.
We have talked to our friends and partners in the EU. I have said so many times now that we don't rule out taking steps now if they are necessary. He made comments two days after Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg warned that the UK would reform the protocol if the EU did not.
The Queen s speech a reference to the 2020 attempt to tear up some of the protocol is rife by speculation in Northern Ireland industry circles that the government is planning an internal market bill 2.0.
Northern Ireland Minister Conor Burns told LBC radio that he refused to be drawn on the specifics of the moves, which Rees-Mogg described as in motion, but he said: I hope Brussels are listening to this conversation and other conversations.
I hope that they will come back to the table constructively to allow us to make the protocol work in the way it was intended.
If they don't hear that, then the government reserves the right to take remedial action, as we have always said, as laid down in the protocol. The plan is absolutely astonishing and incredibly damaging if we just recklessly pull out of it unilaterally, how will any other country in the world sign a deal with us and think we will honour it? He said something.
How will Prime Minister Modi react to the fact that Boris Johnson asked for a trade deal if he is pulling out of the last trade deal he signed? The UK and the EU are back in talks because of the fact that the government has always maintained its right to trigger Article 16 of the protocol.
Rees-Mogg hinted two days ago that the UK would be triggering section 38 b of the parent EU Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020, which restates the principle of parliamentary sovereignty.
The move risks further accusations that the UK may not be fully compliant with the international treaty signed with the EU, while the UK is free to legislate whatever domestic laws it chooses.
In giving evidence to the EU scrutiny committee this week, Rees-Mogg stated in relation to section 38 b of the withdrawal agreement: We can do what we want, ultimately.