Northern Ireland Protocol: UK PM renews threat to break away from Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Friday, renewed the threat of breaking away from a Brexit deal that he signed last year unless a trade dispute over Northern Ireland is resolved. Asserting that the deal needed to be fixed at the earliest, Johnson said that Downing Street will have to take “necessary steps” to resolve the dispute. Previously, Johnson had threatened to trigger an emergency break clause in the deal that lets either side suspend the agreement in extreme circumstances if there is no solution soon. However, experts fear that it could galvanise the EU to impose sanctions on the UK, thereby, triggering a trade war, as reported by Associated Press. 

“I think we need to fix it. I’m not convinced that the solutions we’re seeing do fix it,” Johnson said. His remarks came as he addressed media reporters in Rome where he is landed on Friday to attend G20 summit. 

What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

As a part of the Brexit deal, the UK and European Union inked the Northern Ireland Protocol in December last year, agreeing to keep British controlled Northern Ireland under the EU's single market. This directly implies that all the goods arriving from the UK mainland are required to undergo EU Import Procedures. Additionally, the protocol also obliged Northern Ireland to keep its border open with the Republic of Ireland. More recently, the Boris Johnson administration has called for the protocol to be written highlighting that it was obstructing business between London and Belfast. 

It is imperative to note that in March, the trade conflict triggered violent rights in the country after loyalist communities voiced their angst on post-Brexit trade agreements, which they said created a divide between the region and the rest of the UK. Turbulence also surged following the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) decision not to punish two dozen Sinn Fein politicians who – despite tight restrictions as a result of Covid-19 – attended the funeral of the former head of IRA intelligence, Bobby Storey. The turbulence soon spread to other parts including Belfast and Newtownabbey, where rioters took violent measures. 

(With inputs from AP)

Image: AP