Northern Ireland Protocol

[mugball]

So yesterday the Brits said they wanted to rewrite the agreed Northern Irish Protocol:

EU officials expressed exasperation at the UK’s move, unveiled in a 28-page command paper by the Brexit minister, David Frost, on Wednesday. He told peers the protocol was unsustainable and said the UK “cannot go on as we are” given the “ongoing febrile political climate” in Northern Ireland

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... t-protocol

And today the EU has expressed a bit more than exasperation:

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen has rejected Boris Johnson’s plea to renegotiate the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland after a phone call with the prime minister.

The European Commission president said on Thursday that Brussels will “be creative and flexible” over the Northern Ireland protocol “but we will not renegotiate”.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/e ... -1.4627717

Like all things Brexit there is no solution to this that keeps everybody happy, somebody is going to have to compromise.

The EU? Hardly likely because they cannot be seen to allow departing members call the shots over the interests of existing members. If the EU don't back Ireland on this, what's the point of the EU.

The DUP/Unionists? Hardly likely, there whole raison d'être is in being uncompromising.

The Brits? Hardly likely, because Boris et al cannot be seen to be bullied by Europe.

So how does this pan out? I'm worried that it will be Ireland that's forced into some sort of compromise, we are back channelled into agreeing with something, so the EU can say "We back Ireland to the hilt, so if they're happy we're happy".

No idea what sort of compromise we might be encouraged to suck up though.

[Hairy-Joe]

I'm a bit unsure of the finer points but from I've seen, the UK government keep changing the goalposts. They have agreed to one thing and now decide they don't like it? I fear that no matter what agreement the UK makes, they won't be trusted.

I think Boris wants to push as far as he can to see if the EU folds. If the EU folds or gives an inch, Boris will keep pushing for more. If EU sticks by its guns, Boris will look for wording that makes his …login to view the rest of this post