Boris Johnson was warned by his Irish counterpart that rejecting the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland would be a “historic low point”, citing the outbreak of war in Ukraine as a reason for respecting international law.
As Downing Street is expected to introduce a controversial bill that would repeal key parts of next week’s withdrawal agreement, Taoist Michel Martin said such a move would be “deeply harmful”.
Martin suggested to the European Parliament on Wednesday morning that by ignoring its obligations under international law, the British government would make the world safer, and said Johnson should not take lightly the hard-won peace on the island of Ireland.
“This would mark a historic low, signaling disregard for the fundamental principles of the law that underpin international relations,” Martin said of the British prime minister’s plans. “And that would literally benefit absolutely no one. Without a spirit of partnership, there would be no peace process in Northern Ireland.
“Without trust, without commitment, without a desire to see things from the perspective of others, there would be no Good Friday agreement or a quarter of a century of peace in Northern Ireland in which young people could grow and prosper like themselves. ..
“What has been so hard to win as we look across our continent, seeing what is at stake when the rule of international law is at stake – we all have to work together and stand up for what we have agreed to.
Despite fears from many lawmakers, the prime minister is expected to continue next week with a bill that will exempt food and goods entering Northern Ireland from EU inspections, which the government agreed to in the Brexit deal. The move will be welcomed by many members of Johnson’s Brexit party after a difficult week when his term as prime minister was severely weakened by a split vote of confidence.
However, the proposed legislation could also be the first of many hotspots with 148 rebel MPs, who make up 41% of Tory MPs who want him to resign.
On Monday, Conservative MP Jesse Norman, a former finance minister, said in a letter explaining his reasons for voting against Johnson that violating the Northern Ireland Protocol would be “economically very harmful, politically reckless and almost certainly illegal”.
The government, reiterating the complaints of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which refuses to support power-sharing institutions over the protocol, said the current arrangements undermined the Good Friday agreement by raising barriers to trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.
Sign up for the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BST
The European Commission has tried to allay these concerns with a series of proposals that would reduce the level of documents facing traders, but after an initially warm response, British ministers insisted that more renegotiation was needed.
Martin told MEPs: “It is perfectly reasonable to look for ways to improve the protocol. But unfortunately, what we have seen is an unscrupulous effort to undermine a free contract, instead of trying to create a constructive atmosphere for everyone to participate. In fact, we have seen efforts to block agreements or introduce new problems …
“I have said many times that there are solutions to practical problems under the protocol if there is the political will to find them. But this requires partnership. This requires the UK Government to commit to good faith, seriousness and commitment. “
Once the bill is introduced, it will take many months to pass through parliament, during which the UK and the commission’s negotiating teams are expected to resume negotiations.
Add Comment