Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:19 AM Law to fix Northern Ireland Protocol might take a YEAR to be passed as Tory ... trends now
Ministers are gearing up for another Brexit battle with the House of Lords amid fears their plans to override the Northern Ireland Protocol could take up to a year to become law.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has outlined how the UK will unilaterally overhaul post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland should negotiations with the EU continue to stall.
The Government is pursuing a twin-track approach to the Protocol by remaining open to further talks with Brussels. But it is also pushing ahead with legislation at Westminster to achieve reforms if those discussions go nowhere.
Boris Johnson has described the proposed legislation as 'insurance' should a negotiated settlement not be possible.
It today emerged that ministers were pressing ahead with the plans due to fears their bill could face a tortuous passage through the Lords.
Some Tory rebels have already vowed to oppose the legislation.
The Protocol, which Boris Johnson signed with the EU in January 2020, was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The EU's 'dogmatic' and 'rigid' implementation of the Protocol has been blamed for causing significant trade disruption between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It is also the cause of the deep political crisis in Northern Ireland, with the DUP refusing to re-enter a power-sharing Executive or allow an Assembly to function without changes to the Protocol.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has outlined how the UK will unilaterally overhaul post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland
The Government is pushing ahead with legislation at Westminster to achieve reforms if discussions with the EU continue to go nowhere
Former Cabinet minister Lord Patten of Barnes has already announced his intention to oppose the legislation
Ministers are pressing ahead with the plans due to fears their bill could face a tortuous passage through the House of Lords
The Government is due to publish its legislation at the start of next month and plans to introduce it to the House of Commons before MPs' summer break begins at the end of July.
The Times reported that one minister warned the bill had to be introduced now as there were concerns it might not otherwise pass into law before the end of this session of Parliament next year.
A Tory former Cabinet minister has already announced their intention to oppose the proposed legislation in the Lords.
