Brexit: Lord Frost hits out at EU over Northern Ireland Protocol

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The European Commission’s Vice President Maros Sefcovic has refused to back down in fierce Brexit negotiations with Lord Frost, and the UK is braced to trigger Article 16 to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol. According to Politico, the Commission’s tax retaliation package has been drafted to discourage Britain from following through on its threats.

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In a poll of 6,394 people, held from October 15 to 17, a staggering 98 percent of voters said the UK should tax EU imports if Brussels punish Britain with new export tariffs.

One reader, Tolstoi, said: “We have to do something as the EU continually uses the UK as a punch bag.

“If the only thing left is to fight fire with fire then do it, the EU won’t last long. Time to stand up to the bully that the EU is.”

Sanjay P agreed: “The UK should put in reciprocal tariffs on EU goods and go further by cancelling all fishing licenses issued to EU vessels.”

Whilst Ramos thought tax punishments should be placed on specific countries or companies.

They said: “Germany calls the shots in the EU.

“The second the EU puts tariffs on Scotch whiskey or stilton, you go straight in with a 40 percent tariff on BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes.”

Many Express readers wanted to ‘cancel’ EU products by encouraging Britons to stop buying them.

A voter going by ‘Exlancslad’ said: “Would be better still if the people of the UK refused to buy anything produced or manufactured in the EU.”

Svart Katt agreed: “Stopped buying EU based produce years ago and it’s a doddle.

“French wine and cheese seriously overrated and totally dispensable.”

Lord Frost warned Brussels last week against “massive and disproportionate retaliation” if the UK decides to unilaterally suspends post-Brexit trade rules.

Speaking to the BBC this morning, Lord Frost appeared to believe a resolution can still be met before triggering Article 16.

Lord Frost said: “I would like to progress this as fast as we possibly can, I’m glad there’s ambition on the EU side.”

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He added: “I think it can be done – whether it will be done is a different question.

“It’s got to be a deal that deals with the problems, solves the underlying problems, and makes a difference to businesses and people’s lives.

“This question of how goods move from Great Britain into Northern Ireland is obviously at the heart of it.

“We have said that we don’t see any reason why goods that everybody acknowledges are going to stay in Northern Ireland need to go through processes.

“Obviously if they go on into Ireland we have said that we will police them in accordance with EU law, that’s perfectly reasonable, but goods staying in Northern Ireland – why do they need to go through a customs check?”

Maros Sefcovic agreed to reduce trade checks in Northern Ireland by 80 percent, but Lord Frost is pushing for a larger decrease as well as demanding that the powers of the European Court of Justice be removed from Northern Ireland.

Negotiations continue this week between the two politicians in Brussels.

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