The Prime Minister is expected to be in Northern Ireland today as efforts to break the political deadlock in Stormont intensify.
Boris Johnson will hold talks with party leaders and try to persuade the Democratic Unionists to enter the power-sharing government.
Sinn Fein is now the largest party, but its deputy president, Michelle O’Neill, cannot become prime minister without a unionist deputy prime minister.
The DUP has blocked the formation of a new devolved administration over the Northern Ireland Protocol and the resulting maritime border.
Boris Johnson may be forced to choose between a government in Belfast or the treaty he agreed with the EU.
Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, the prime minister said: “A lot has changed since the protocol was agreed.
“The EU has told us that it is impossible to make the changes in the text of the protocol to really solve these problems in the negotiations, because there is no mandate to do so.”
Pledged to “keep the door open for genuine dialogue”, he echoed the words of Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, referring to a possible “landing zone”.
“Our shared goal must be to create the widest possible cross-community support for a reformed protocol in 2024,” he added.
The DUP has blocked the formation of a new decentralized administration
Boris Johnson said he hoped the EU would change its position, but warned: “If it doesn’t, action will be needed.”
“The government has a responsibility to ensure that Northern Ireland’s consumers, citizens and businesses are protected for the long term.”
“We will present a more detailed assessment and next steps to parliament in the coming days,” he added.
The government is preparing to publish legislation to overturn the protocol, but Sky News understands there are still cabinet concerns about the legal position.
The invoice can be challenged in parliament or in court if it is considered to have violated international law.
The PM falls out with the EU and some of his own MPs
The government plans to publish legislation to overturn the Northern Ireland Protocol.
By introducing legislation that appears to transcend international law, Boris Johnson is not only fighting the EU, but also some of his own MPs and members of the House of Lords.
The Conservative chairman of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, Simon Hoare, said today that the move would be an “indelible stain on the reputation of our country” and asked his colleagues to ask themselves “what would we be saying if a Labor government were doing this?”.
Senior Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale was similarly scathing, saying Boris Johnson signed the Brexit deal in 2019 and campaigned in a general election in the wake of it.
“They didn’t complain about it then. Boris Johnson is responsible…our word is our bond and if we say we are going to do something then we should do it,” the Kent MP said.
Read the full analysis here
The inclusion of protections to prevent that would limit any action to the restrictions of the full Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, leader of the DUP, said: “The Prime Minister’s visit to Northern Ireland is an acknowledgment that the protocol is not working and is damaging to Northern Ireland. Those issues need to be addressed.”
“We look forward to hearing what the prime minister has to say, but we will not make judgments based on words. It is a decisive action that must be taken.”
Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill in Stormont
“Until those steps are taken, there will not be the necessary consensus to share power in Northern Ireland.
“We respect the mandate received by other parties, but they must also recognize the clear vision expressed by the unionist electorate.”
Reference-news.sky.com