Liz Truss is reportedly preparing a bill that will unilaterally repeal key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, eliminating the need for inspections of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland.
The bill is not expected to be announced in the Queen’s speech on Tuesday, but it is reported that the UK Foreign Secretary has asked officials to prepare a bill that would put the UK in breach of its treaty obligations.
Along with the abolition of inspections, the bill will also take away the powers of the European Court of Justice and remove all requirements for Northern Irish companies to comply with EU regulations.
Some cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Michael Gove, are said to be troubled by the high stakes included in Trus’s strategy and the possibility of a trade war with the EU, as the UK is on the brink of a potential recession.
Cabinet sources suggest that Trus’s maneuvers were part of a “flutter of leadership feathers” – hinting that they were intended to put her at odds with Sunak in the minds of conservative backstage. Sources close to Gove and Sunak have denied trying to block Trus’s plans.
It was initially understood that the bill was intended to give ministers, in principle, the power to rescind the treaty, but it did not have to be used in practice.
However, the Times reported on Tuesday that the bill would go beyond expectations and explicitly repeal parts of the protocol.
Such a move is expected to provoke a legal response from the EU if implemented – including the possible imposition of new tariffs by the EU.
Trus will argue that the results of the Northern Ireland election give the talks a new sense of urgency because the Democratic Unionist Party has said it will boycott any participation in a new government in Stormont until the issue is resolved.
Sinn Fein, who won the most seats in Stormont for the first time, said Northern Ireland was becoming a “concomitant damage” to the dispute.
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A government spokesman said: “Our focus has been and will continue to be on maintaining peace and stability in Northern Ireland. Decisions on the way forward have not yet been made. Now, however, the situation is very serious.
“We have always been clear that action will be taken to defend the Belfast agreement (Good Friday) if no solutions can be found to amend the protocol.
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