This would weaken the agreement on Northern Ireland that Boris Johnson signed last October not to return to the region’s hard borders, a person familiar with the plan told the FT.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coweni said in a statement on Twitter that such a move described in the FT would be a very sensible way to move forward on Brexit.
The UK government did not dispute the FT story, although UK Environment Secretary George Eustace suggested in an interview with Sky News that the story could contain “exaggerated things”. He added that “Northern Ireland has agreed to the protocol of the prot ઉg” “and” part of the withdrawal agreement. ”
A government spokesman described the proposed law as a “fallback”. The spokesperson said: “We are working hard to resolve the remaining issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol through the Joint Committee and will continue to approach these discussions with good discussion. As a responsible government we are considering options not to achieve this.” To make sure communities are safe. “
Two Downing Street sources familiar with the government’s Brexit plans told CNN that they do not recognize large parts of the FT report. However, the news came on the same day that Johns warned that if the deal between London and Brussels did not expire by 15 October, when EU leaders were to meet to discuss Brexit, the UK would walk away from negotiations. “There’s no point in thinking about timelines that go beyond that issue,” Johnson said in a statement. “If we can’t agree until then, I don’t see a free trade agreement between us, and we should both move forward accepting it.”
There have been signs of tension in the negotiation process in recent weeks. Brussels fears the UK is trying to reach a deal on terms that means it will not bind to commitments made with the European Union in the withdrawal agreement. The UK believes Brussels is demanding more state aid and fishing than agreed last year and is refusing to accept that the European Union is now an independent country.
Against this background, it is not surprising that the EU will take note of any suggestion that the EU is planning to undermine the 2019 withdrawal agreement. The EU diplomat said it was “interesting” to have an international audience in the Financial Times.
While Downing Street’s fanatical rhetoric may worry Brussels officials, some in London believe Johnson is paving the way for a major waiver this fall to secure the Brexit deal. A number of hardliners told CNN last week that the best way to end the current deadlock is to revoke parts of the agreement.
Whatever the real intentions of the UK government, the story of Brexit in Brussels in the wake of recent developments seems to be hurting its final chapter.
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