Labour: Triggering article 16 of Northern Ireland Protocol would be ‘tragic’
It would be “tragic” if the government triggers article 16 of the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol and suspends the treaty, according to Emily Thornberry.
The shadow international trade secretary today said the government needed to dial down its constant threats to rip up the protocol as UK-EU negotiations over its implementation continue.
Negotiations between the UK and EU over the protocol continue to drag on, with the implementation of a number of border checks on things like food, parcels and medicines delayed indefinitely.
The protocol is a part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and sees Northern Ireland follow the EU’s customs union and single market rules, unlike the rest of the UK, in order to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
This has created a so-called border in the Irish Sea, which has infuriated many parts of the unionist community who say it separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
Boris Johnson has called for less stringent checks on goods going between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the EU, claiming that it is causing political and economic difficulties.
He has said on numerous occasions that he is willing to rip up the protocol if a settlement cannot be arranged, which would plunge the UK and EU into a diplomatic crisis.
“This is a government that is so dogmatic, that won’t roll up its sleeves and solve problems – we need grown up politicians to get in there and sort it our because it’s not impossible,” Thornberry told the BBC.
“The government keeps saying they’re going to trigger article 16 – I hope they don’t because triggering it is not a long-term solution, the government is kicking the can down the road and they need to deal with it.”
Shadow cabinet office minister, and close Sir Keir Starmer ally, Baroness Jenny Chapman yesterday told a fringe event that defacto Brexit minister Lord David Frost needed to stop ending every media appearance by threatening to trigger article 16.
Frost wants to redraw the treaty and to rely on an “honesty box” approach, which would see exporters from Great Britain declare whether or not their goods were intended for sale outside Northern Ireland.
Brussels has flatly rejected this and are only open to discussions on how to implement the current text.
Yesterday, four unionist parties declared that they wanted the protocol to be completely replaced in a joint statement.
The stance from the four parties is significant as the protocol needs to pass a vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly in December 2024 for it to stand.
The four parties who signed the declaration against the protocol have 37 out of 90 seats in Stormont.