EU's NI Proposals Would 'Take Us Backward – Truss Ms Truss

Some of the European Union's proposals on the Northern Ireland protocol would “take us backwards”, Liz Truss has claimed, in a seeming bid to set the stage for the UK to take unilateral action on the post-Brexit treaty.

- Andy Gregory

Dismissing the ideas set out by the bloc in October aimed at resolving the problems with the protocol, the foreign secretary warned last night that “the answer cannot be more checks, paperwork and disruption”.

After the government used the Queen's Speech to declare its continued negotiations with Brussels would not “stand in the way of protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland”, EU commissioner Maros Sefcovic responded that “renegotiation is not an option” – and urged London to match Brussels' “determination and creativity” to finalise solutions to the dispute.

But in her statement, issued hours later, Ms Truss said "the current EU proposals fail to properly address the real issues affecting Northern Ireland and in some cases would take us backward.

"Prices have risen, trade is being badly disrupted, and the people of Northern Ireland are subject to different laws and taxes than those over the Irish Sea, which has left them without an executive and poses a threat to peace and stability.”

Ms Truss added: “Our preference has always been for a negotiated solution but will not shy away from taking action to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland if solutions cannot be found.”

Her comments came just hours after Tory former prime minister Theresa May cautioned Boris Johnson over taking any unilateral action on the protocol, urging him to consider the “wider sense of what such a move would say about the UK and its willingness to abide by treaties which it has signed”.