Boris Johnson vows to ‘fix’ Northern Ireland Protocol with PM saying the post-Brexit stand-off with Brussels is not ‘going to be the end of the world’ after the EU moves to ease goods trade row
- The Primer Minister made the breezy assessment in Bloomberg News interview
- PM said there was a ‘problem’ with Northern Irish protocol’, saying: ‘We’ll fix that’
- Last week the EU made major concessions over goods entry to Northern Ireland
- But UK wants end to role of EU’s top court in ruling on trade disputes involving NI
Boris Johnson today insisted his Government will ‘fix’ post-Brexit rules throttling goods trade with Northern Ireland today as he insisted the problems were not ‘going to be the end of the world’.
The Primer Minister made the breezy assessment as he was grilled on the UK’s relationship with France and other members of the EU since leaving in January.
In an interview with Bloomberg he insisted that he had a good relationship with president Macron despite a deepening row over fishing rights and efforts to stem the flow of migrants across the Channel.
Speaking to Bloomberg News’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, last night, the PM said: ‘Is there a problem with the Northern Irish protocol? Yes there is – but we’ll fix that.
‘I don’t think that’s going to be the end of the world.’
The Primer Minister made the breezy assessment as he was grilled on the UK’s relationship with France and other members of the EU since leaving in January.
Last week the EU made major concessions over goods entry to Northern Ireland from Great Britain as it sought to ease the ongoing row.
Speaking to Bloomberg News’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, last night , the PM said: ‘Is there a problem with the Northern Irish protocol? Yes there is – but we’ll fix that. ‘I don’t think that’s going to be the end of the world.’
Last week the EU made major concessions over goods entry to Northern Ireland from Great Britain as it sought to ease the ongoing row.
The European Commission offered to slash 80 per cent of regulatory checks and dramatically cut customs processes on British goods moving to Northern Ireland.
But there were claims the EU is preparing retaliation including blocking cross-Channel energy supplies if the UK rejects a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol.
France, Germany and the Netherlands are said to be pushing for a tough response should Britain follow through on its threats to suspend the divorce terms.
The measures being floated include curbing UK access to energy supplies, imposing tariffs, or even axing the trade agreement, according to the Financial Times.
The sabre-rattling comes as Lord Frost warned that the European Court of Justice must be stripped of powers over Northern Ireland.