Leaks And Bungling Surround Bid To Move Against Brexit Deal And Now Everyone's Irritated

For a government which has just announced a bill that could spark a trade war in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, it is remarkable how often members of the government say what they really want is for everyone to calm down.

- Jessica Elgot

The intention to legislate has now been formally announced but when it will actually be seen by MPs is intentionally vague.

The Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis says it was never meant to be this week. Of course it wasn't. Now the only commitment is “before the summer” which could mean anything.

Was it really meant to happen like this? The original plan began with Conor Burns, with his new title of US special envoy on the Northern Ireland protocol, dispatched to Boston and Washington to bend ears over the UK's predicament.

Burns had the responsibility of softening up a sceptical White House over the need to change the protocol, armed with the hefty volume of paperwork needed under the new system in order to demonstrate how bad the situation was for traders.

And it might have been a reasonable diplomatic mission if the Times had not spiked his guns with leaked plans for the bill finally announced by Liz Truss today. US diplomats and key lawmakers fumed at being blindsided.