Brexit: Michel Barnier insists his ‘mission isn’t over’

Christopher Hope, chief political correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, appeared on the BBC’s nightly news show to discuss the EU’s coronavirus vaccine woes. Yesterday the EU prepared to trigger Article 16 in the NIP to block vaccine exports to the UK, quashing the Brexit trade deal before backing down after outrage from UK and Irish officials.

After being asked what he made of the EU’s export controls on Northern Ireland (NI), Mr Hope remarked: “What on earth was the European Commission thinking?”

The Telegraph correspondent said sources “close” to the ERG are saying “the project is starting to unravel under pressure”.

He said: “It’s not the Brexit project, it’s the European Union and the way they’re treating this border that won’t exist on the Island of Ireland. It’s insane.

”No wonder you’ve got concerned calls from Boris Johnson to the Taoiseach in Northern Ireland, he talked to Ursula von der Leyen later on saying ‘what is going on’.

“This shows a degree of panic in Brussels and not a lot of confidence, certainly.”

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Mr Hope went on to comment on how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Tory MPs have said little on the EU vaccine row, after he was asked whether he felt the “Government held back from getting involved in this trade war”.

He said: “It certainly seems like the ministers I spoke to tonight are trying to stay above it. They’re trying to take the moral high ground, which is certainly what Brussels would be trying to do if it were the shoe was reversed on this one.

“They’re trying to calm it all down because it is very very intense, there’s no doubt about that. But the UK holds all the cards.

“They’ve got their orders. They’ve got their contract, whatever you say about the versions published today. They’ve got their agreement and all they need to do is stick with that, and maybe try and help the EU unblock the problems they’ve got.”

The European Commission triggered Article 16 in the NIP, which allows both the UK and EU to override the Northern Ireland Protocol and limit exports if “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade”, to enact export controls on EU-made coronavirus vaccines.

It sparked outrage in Northern Ireland, with NI First Minister Arlene Foster calling it “an incredible act of hostility”.

She added: “At the first opportunity the EU has placed a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the supply chain of the coronavirus vaccine.”

Deputy First Minister and Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill also condemned the move, and said on Twitter: “I have just spoken with the Irish Govt to raise my very serious concerns in relation to the invoking of Art. 16.

“This is a totally ill judged move by the EU and should not have been triggered. Calm heads need to prevail, this needs to be sorted urgently.”

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In contrast, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Michael Gove just spoke to European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic to express the UK’s concern over a lack of notification from the EU about its actions in relation to the NI protocol.

“Mr Gove said the UK would now be carefully considering its next steps.”

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister was asked by Laura Kuenssberg “to respond to the EU’s seeming demand for some of the UK’s vaccine.”

Mr Johnson said: “All I can say is that we are very confident in our supplies and we are very confident in our contracts.

“We are going ahead on that basis.”

Later on, the EU climbed down from the export controls and said it was “not triggering the safeguard clause” to ensure the protocol is “unaffected”.

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