Brexit: EU aiming to 'cause pain' through reprisals says expert

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Brexit Minister Lord David Frost has warned that suspending the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal will be the “only option” if UK-EU talks fail to resolve problems. The Protocol ensures there is no hard border on the island of Ireland, and also means some goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must be checked. The UK Government agreed to the plan as part of its Brexit trade deal, but has since demanded changes. The UK has threatened to trigger Article 16 – sets out the process for taking unilateral “safeguard” measures if either the EU or UK concludes that the deal is leading to serious practical problems or causing diversion of trade.

Brussels has vowed to give a “clear response” if the UK takes this course of action.

The UK has been warning since July that it believes the conditions have already been met to trigger Article 16 but is still trying to avoid that outcome through further talks.

Speaking in September about the long row between the EU and UK, Matthew O’Toole – a former civil servant and current SDLP member of the Northern Ireland assembly – took aim at Lord Frost’s approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He accused the Brexit Minister of creating unrest and said Lord Frost risked damaging his reputation.

Mr O’Toole said: “If it’s the judgement of Conservative backbenchers then it may be that at some level he and Boris Johnson fell that the confrontation with the EU is good for their reputation at a certain level.

“In terms of Frost’s relationship with the Protocol, and whether he makes the Protocol work, I have to say I speak not just as a neutral commentator but also as a participant in this.

“I’m fairly sceptical as to how the view of the current crop of the Conservative backbenchers, with a few exceptions…Frost’s reputation should, if he cannot find it within himself to resolve his issues with the EU, then it should damage profoundly his reputation

“It’s also worth saying very briefly, some of what David Frost has done this year has been I think in itself destabilising.

“He seems to be determined to create a narrative around deep political and societal unrest…that I’m afraid is deeply irresponsible.”

Figures in Ireland have also taken aim at the man who agreed the Brexit deal with the EU.

Billy Kelleher, an MEP from Ireland, told Express.co.uk in July that Lord Frost is acting in bad faith.

He said: “It’s hard to understand Lord Frost because his signature is at the bottom of that agreement, he signed that agreement. Either he didn’t understand what he was signing in the first place or he is now acting in bad faith.

“Either way it is problematic from his perspective that the agreement he advocated for is now an agreement he no longer supports.

DON’T MISS
EU can’t afford to pick a fight with UK over Brexit, warns report [INSIGHT]
Britons call for Boris to go nuclear as Brexit row with EU collapses [ANALYSIS]
‘Time to get serious’ Verhofstadt stokes Brexit tensions [INSIGHT]

“I think there’s a lot of politics at work here, particularly from the UK, and it is infuriating and annoying because it is undermining the unique position Northern Ireland has in the world.”

He also added that the narrative of Britain securing newfound freedom “grates” on the people of Ireland.

Mr Kelleher continued: “Unfortunately I think the UK Government has been a bit like Donald Trump, not very worried about what people think about the way it conducts itself.

“I think the triumphalism around the vaccine in the early stages of the rollout – there was this obsession in the UK hoping the EU would fail with the vaccine.

“Consistent mutterings from senior Tory figures about how they hope the EU would fail, and that seems to be the continual narrative.

“And that narrative grates on the Irish people, because the Irish people are very pro-European and want to see Europe succeed – equally we want to see the UK succeed.”

Source: Read Full Article