Opposition accuses the government of violating international law.
The British government considers unilateral changes to the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol to be legal. British Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News on Sunday that a bill that would give ministers the power to scrap parts of the Brexit deal would not violate international law. “What we are going to do is legal and correct,” he said. Sharp criticism of the plan came from the leading party in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein.
The government’s proposal will be seen to resolve the protocol’s key issues, Lewis said. At the same time, Lewis accused the European Union of a lack of flexibility. Sinn Fein boss Mary Lou McDonald was outraged by the London government’s plans. “It is not constructive, it has taken a destructive path and it is now planning legislation that will undoubtedly break international law,” she told Sky News on Sunday. The Catholic nationalist party recently won a historic victory in the general election in Northern Ireland. The party, which advocates unification with Ireland, had become the strongest force in an election in Northern Ireland for the first time.
Criticism also came from the opposition Labor Party. Her MP Rachel Reeves told Sky News it appeared the government was planning to break international law. Instead, to get the Northern Ireland Protocol to work, you have to negotiate and work together with your European partners.
London and the EU had concluded the protocol in the wake of Brexit. The regulation is intended to prevent a hard border with EU member Ireland, but a customs border has emerged between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. This is a thorn in the side of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, which is why they want to make changes.
On Monday, the British Parliament wanted to deal with the government’s controversial bill. Should Britain unilaterally repeal the protocol, a trade war looms with the EU, which opposes changes. Brussels has made it clear that changes to the protocol were a breach of international law.
(APA/dpa/Reuters)