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There is now a “smoother sliding path” to a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU after the government abandoned plans that could have seen the UK violate international law, Michael Gove told Sky News.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading to brussels this afternoon in a final attempt to achieve a breakthrough in trade negotiations with the EU, before the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.
Cabinet Office Minister Mr. Gove suggested that the Prime Minister’s task could be facilitated by following Tuesday announcement of an agreement on the implementation of the UK’s divorce agreement with the EU, including post-Brexit agreements for the Irish border.
As a result of that agreement, the government said it would now remove highly controversial parts of its Internal Market Law, which would have given ministers the power to override the Withdrawal Agreement.
Mr Gove told Niall Paterson of Sky News: “Throughout this year there have been intense discussions between us and the European Commission to make sure that we can resolve the issues on what is called the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“Of course people wanted to make sure that there was no border infrastructure on the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, but also that Northern Ireland can be a safe part of the UK.
“We have agreed to that, and as a result, some of the measures that we were proposing, which some in Europe had criticized, we no longer need to introduce.”
“That means there is a smoother glide path for a potential deal.”
Gove suggested that without an agreement on post-Brexit agreements for the Irish border, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, goods traveling to Northern Ireland would have been subject to tariffs.
“The price of everything from a pint of milk to a Nissan Qashqai would have been higher for the citizens of Northern Ireland,” he said.
“It is also the case that we could have faced restrictions on some of the food that would have been found on supermarket shelves.
“It would also have been the case that there would have been barriers that people would have tried to erect between companies in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
“None of those threats exist now.”
Mr Gove added that the UK government could offer greater assurance to people in Northern Ireland that they are “safe in the UK” and that the peace process has been protected.
