The draft amendment to the Protocol, which governs Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trade arrangements, will spark a controversy with the European Union. It could also prove to be a key test for Boris Johnson’s power following an explosive showdown earlier this week that saw 41% of lawmakers vote against him. Politics Hub: PM says he has until autumn to save prime minister The Northern Ireland Protocol was designed to avoid imposing a harsh border with the Republic of Ireland as a result of Brexit. As part of the agreement, Northern Ireland remains under certain EU rules and there are controls on goods entering Northern Ireland from the UK, creating a substantial border in the Irish Sea. Opponents, including trade unionists and hardline Brexit supporters, say it undermines Northern Ireland’s position in the UK and claims it is causing business difficulties. The distribution of power in Northern Ireland has been put on hold because the trade union DUP refuses to join the executive branch until its concerns over the protocol are resolved. Last month, Foreign Minister Liz Tras unveiled a plan to introduce legislation that would bypass parts of the protocol, citing the need to address the “very serious and serious situation”. He said the bill would preserve elements that worked while correcting those that did not – about the movement of goods, the regulation of goods, VAT, the control of subsidies and governance. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:23 “Good Friday deal is the first priority” Ms Trous said the bill would propose a “green channel” for relieving goods moving and residing within the UK from unnecessary bureaucracy. At the same time, the government said it would ensure that goods destined for the EU “are subject to full controls and controls enforced under EU law” backed by data sharing regulations. However, Britain has warned that a unilateral withdrawal from the Protocol could jeopardize the wider post-Brexit free trade agreement between the UK and Europe, raising the prospect of a trade war. Questions have also been raised about the legality of the move. Opponents say circumventing the Protocol would violate international law. Read more Analysis: There is a clear winner after Boris Johnson’s gloomy week and it’s not Kir Starmer – or the Tories’s Explanator: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why does it matter? On Friday, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The bill has been agreed by the relevant committees of the cabinet and will be introduced in parliament on Monday. “Along with the bill we will publish a summary of the legal advice.” Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, speaking on a visit to Belfast, said his party would repeal the law. Ministers fear there could be a major uprising with some of the 148 Tory lawmakers who voted no confidence in the prime minister earlier this week. They also believe that they may need to use Parliament’s law to enforce the law if it is rejected by the House of Lords.
