Boris Johnson denies snubbing Sein Fein’s call for a meeting on Belfast trip
The government deliberately undermined trust with the EU by moving to unilaterally extend the post-Brexit grace period, Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said.
The UK decided to extend the grace period – allowing importers time to adjust to new checks and procedures at the border – without EU approval, but member states have backed a proposal by the European Commission to take legal action against the decision.
“I hope there won’t be legal action as it could reinforce the division, I hope we can resolve this through discussion,” Mr Coveney said in an interview with The Times.
“But David Frost is an experienced negotiator, this was a deliberate move. They must have calculated it would undermine the trust between London and Brussels.”
The prime minister said he did not think arrangements he agreed with the EU would involve restrictions on the movements of food products such as sausages, on parcel deliveries and on soil from Great Britain entering Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, official statistics revealed goods sales to the EU fell 40.7 per cent in January, with experts blaming Brexit for a large chunk of the lost exports.
‘World too divided’ for EU and UK competition, says Coveney
Competition between the UK and EU following Brexit has got out of hand, Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said in his Times interview.
Touting his anglophile credentials, a love of cricket and lager among them, Mr Coveney shared his fears over the competitive nature of the two sides’ new relationship.
“We need to work together as friends and neighbours as opposed to seeing this as some kind of arm wrestle between the UK and EU where one side tries to get one over on the other,” Mr Coveney said, referring to attempts by both sides to woo America’s new president and the UK’s boasts over its successful vaccine rollout.
“The world is too divided a place for the EU and the UK to have that kind of fractious relationship,” he said.
“Rather than the EU and UK competing for attention in Washington, looking to be first to do a trade deal, it makes sense for UK, EU and US and Canada to do one together.”
“This idea that Britain can get there first is narrow minded thinking, frankly. It’s a perverse nationalism when actually Britain and the EU should work together as partners.”
Liam James13 March 2021 11:50
Government intentionally undermined trust between UK and EU, says Irish foreign minister
The government’s move to unilaterally extend the post-Brexit grace period for goods shipped into Northern Ireland must have been calculated to “undermine the trust” between the UK and EU, Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said.
The UK decided to extend the grace period – allowing importers time to adjusto new checks and procedures at the border – without EU approval, but member states have backed a proposal by the European Commission to take legal action against the decision.
“This move this week by the British government will force a much more rigid legalistic approach to negotiation because there simply isn’t the relationship and the trust there to find a way forward,” Mr Coveney said in an interview with The Times.
“I hope there won’t be legal action as it could reinforce the division, I hope we can resolve this through discussion.
“But David Frost is an experienced negotiator, this was a deliberate move. They must have calculated it would undermine the trust between London and Brussels.”
Liam James13 March 2021 11:15
Boris Johnson facing major Conservative rebellion in Commons over ‘genocide amendment’ row | Exclusive
At least 30 Tory MPs could rebel in a vote on the Trade Bill unless ministers accept the so-called genocide amendment that aims to prevent trade deals with countries deemed to be committing atrocities, The Independent has been told.
The latest threatened rebellion follows a third crushing defeat for the government in the House of Lords over the issue that has been given renewed focus amid international outcry over allegations of human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority in China’s Xinjiang province.
The amendment calls for the creation of a “parliamentary judicial committee” of five members of the Lords who have held senior positions in the judiciary, differing from an earlier, narrowly defeated, amendment that would have given the decision-making power to the High Court.
Political Correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the details:
Liam James13 March 2021 10:42
Boris Johnson ‘evading responsibilities’ with Sinn Fein snub, says leader McDonald
Sinn Fein’s leader Mary Lou McDonald has criticised Boris Johnson for refusing to meet to discuss legacy issues and the fallout from Brexit.
Ms McDonald said Mr Johnson was trying to “evade his responsibilities” over investigating legacy killings in Northern Ireland:
Liam James13 March 2021 10:13
Voters worried that Brexit has been bad for economy, as official figures show massive slump in trade
The majority of Britons believe Brexit has been bad for the economy and trade, according to new polling for The Independent.
The findings offer the first indication that the damage caused by leaving the EU’s single market and customs union in January is cutting through with voters.
Official statistics showed on Friday a precipitous 40.7 per cent fall in goods sales to the EU in January, with experts blaming Brexit for a large chunk of the lost exports.
Liam James13 March 2021 09:49
Boris Johnson says NI protocol needs to be ‘corrected’
Boris Johnson has said the Northern Ireland protocol is not operating as he had expected.
The prime minister said he did not think arrangements he agreed with the EU would involve restrictions on the movements of food products such as sausages, on parcel deliveries and on soil from Great Britain entering Northern Ireland.
In a virtual press conference on a visit to the region, Mr Johnson said: “It needs to be corrected, you can’t have a situation in which soil or parcels or tractors with mud on their tyres or whatever are prevented from moving easily from one part of the UK to another – it’s all one United Kingdom.”
Asked about several legal challenges against the protocol, he said: “Before we get to other people’s legal actions against the protocol, what we want to see is to work with our friends in Dublin, in Brussels, to make sure that we iron this thing out, because at the moment it feels to me like it’s not operating in the way that it’s intended to do,” he said.
“It’s there to protect the EU single market but also the UK single market and the Good Friday Agreement, and all we’re looking for is some balance and some common sense.
“There are more immediate ways of addressing the issues with the protocol and more practical and commonsensical ways than doing it through the courts.”
Liam James13 March 2021 09:29
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of politics today.
Liam James13 March 2021 09:23