Unilateral action by the UK government to tear down parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol now seems more likely after a telephone conversation between Liz Truss and Maros Shefcovic failed to break through this morning.
The call was declared a moment of truth about the negotiations, but nothing seems to have changed as the United Kingdom and the EU deepen.
The EU’s continued reluctance to change its negotiating mandate means the government is unlikely to believe that a compromise agreement can be reached.
The latest line in reporting the call to the Foreign Ministry is ominous, saying Ms Trus has noted the EU’s position “with regret”, while clarifying that if Brussels does not show “the flexibility needed to help to solve these problems, then as a responsible government, we would have no choice but to act. ”
The United Kingdom has been calling for more flexibility for months. Ministers may feel that the time has come to act alone.
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