The controversial legislation repealing the Northern Ireland Protocol will be published on Monday following a dispute between the government and Eurosceptics over whether it is firm enough.
The bill, which critics say could be illegal under international law, has been the subject of fierce lobbying by arch-Europeans in recent days, who have demanded that the protocol be dropped altogether.
Boris Johnson and other top ministers have come under pressure from MEPs (ERG) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to propose legislation that intends to take precedence over the protocol and remove the role of the European Court of Justice.
Liz Trass, the foreign minister and prime minister, met with ERG MP Bill Cash earlier this week to discuss the legislation.
The laws were revised last week, but cabinet ministers opposed giving ERG too much say in the outcome.
The EU has spoken out against the UK’s actions in recent weeks, with the Irish Taoiseach warning that abandoning the protocol would be a “historic low point” in relations, citing the war in Ukraine as a reason to respect international law.
Michelle Martin told the European Parliament this week that violating the protocol would make the world less secure and that Johnson should not take lightly the peace on the island of Ireland.
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However, Connor Burns, a minister in Northern Ireland and an ally of Johnson, said the UK government was “recalibrating, not tearing” the protocol.
The bill also opposes some of Johnson’s Conservative MPs for one nation, with former Treasury Secretary Jesse Norman warning Monday that it may be illegal.
Dissatisfaction on both sides underscores the difficulties Johnson may face in passing any legislation through parliament, particularly the House of Lords, where the Conservatives do not have a majority.
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