Tensions erupted in Boris Johnson’s office on Wednesday as the prime minister prepared to publish legislation that would allow the UK government to tear down parts of its 2020 Brexit deal with the EU.
Johnson attacked Liz Truss, the foreign minister, accusing her of tightening the bill to rewrite parts of the Northern Ireland protocol after pressure from Tories’ Eurosceptic lawmakers, according to people briefed on the cabinet meeting.
The protocol governs trade agreements in Northern Ireland, and Johnson urges Brussels to agree to the changes amid fears of unleashing political tensions in the region, as well as unacceptable border frictions.
“The prime minister’s focus is on resolving trade issues in Northern Ireland and reaching a negotiated solution,” said one of Johnson’s allies, suggesting that the prime minister has become a dove on the issue.
A senior Tory official said Trusse seemed intent on confronting Brussels and that legislation to rewrite the Northern Ireland Protocol was now being amended to make it less abrasive and ensure that the door was left open for compromise with the EU. .
Senior officials from the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs confirmed that they had been advised by Trus on legislation. Johnson’s allies believe Truss is courting the group ahead of a future Conservative nomination.
Meanwhile, several cabinet ministers have demanded assurances that the legislation, due to be published next week, does not violate international law, according to people familiar with Wednesday’s meeting.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who had previously warned of a “worst-case” trade war with the EU, was among those who wanted assurances that Britain would not be accused of breaking the law.
His concerns reflect fears in Whitehall that the new legal advice received from Attorney General Suela Braverman would adequately protect the government from accusations of violating international law.
Equalization Secretary Michael Gove also expressed concern about the impact of the legislation on Britain’s reputation, people familiar with the situation said.
Michelle Martin, the Irish Prime Minister, told MEPs that any unilateral action by the United Kingdom would “mark a historic low, signaling disregard for the fundamental principles of the law that underpin international relations”.
Some senior conservatives fear that legislation allowing changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol will provoke more Tory fighting after more than 40 percent of Johnson lawmakers refused to support him Monday in a no-confidence vote following the party scandal.
“Now is not the time to bump into the bear,” a Tory official said, referring to the Conservative Parliamentary Party. “It’s absolute madness.”
A colleague told Johnson that he was “annoyed” that the bill went beyond a government document to reform the Northern Ireland Protocol, published last year by then-Brexit Minister Lord David Frost. The revised final version is expected to reflect Frost’s original proposals.
The law will allow British ministers to “exclude” parts of the protocol that are believed to be responsible for trade frictions and political tensions in Northern Ireland, especially in the pro-British union community.
Under the Johnson Brexit agreement, Northern Ireland remained in the EU’s single market for goods, allowing the region to trade freely across the open border with the Republic of Ireland. Checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom have been introduced.
The legislation will allow UK ministers to lift checks on goods going to Northern Ireland that were expected to remain in the region.
Trus’s allies have denied that Johnson was annoyed by her, but some critics of Tory legislation believe it may ultimately satisfy anyone.
One of the purposes of the legislation is to persuade the pro-British Democratic Union Party to rejoin the Northern Ireland government in Stormont.
The DUP is currently refusing to share power with Sinn Fein, the nationalist party that won the regional elections in May as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
But Brandon Lewis, secretary of Northern Ireland, told ministers that the DUP could continue to boycott Stormont, people familiar with the meeting said on Wednesday.
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 Tory official close to the talks. “They don’t trust Boris.”
The mostly pro-European House of Lords is expected to delay the adoption of the legislation, as well as seek to change it seriously.
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