UK and Ireland vow to work closely to resolve Brexit…

UK and Ireland vow to work closely to resolve Brexit NI Protocol impasse

The UK and Ireland have said that they will work closely to try to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney in London on Thursday (October 6), both expressing a desire for close cooperation.

The first bilateral meeting between the UK and Ireland since Liz Truss became UK Prime Minister will be followed today (Friday) by the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, to be co-chaired by Mr Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

While agreement on changes linked to the protocol remain to be negotiated, the UK, Ireland and the EU have made noticeable efforts in recent days to make progress. The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.

But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The protocol is actively opposed by many unionists in Northern Ireland and the DUP is currently blocking the formation of a power sharing executive in Belfast in protest.

Stormont collapsed earlier this year amid a row over the protocol and has not returned despite elections in May.

Mr Coveney, writing on Twitter, said: “As our closest neighbour, I am committed to working with Ireland on important issues including energy security and fixing the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.” Negotiations between UK and EU officials restarted on Thursday afternoon.

Leo Varadkar said a window of opportunity exists for agreement between the EU and the UK (PA)

Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin warned “difficulties” exist in reaching an agreement but said there was a “genuine desire” from all sides to do so. He said space was now needed to allow the UK and the European Union to reach a resolution.

It came as Ireland’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar conceded that the protocol was a “little too strict”. He said that the protocol is working despite not being fully implemented, demonstrating there is room for “further flexibility for some changes”.

Legislation to enable the UK Government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol is to return to Westminster on Tuesday, October 11. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill has already cleared the House of Commons and will be debated at second reading by the House of Lords, which is expected to consider it next week.