There are now strong signs the British government is preparing to trigger Article 16 of the Brexit withdrawal deal.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney told RTE Radio earlier he believes Boris Johnson’s government is preparing to do it immediately, following the COP26 climate summit.
It would mean a unilateral suspension of elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol – a protocol that’s aimed at avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.
If Article 16 is triggered, while it would not instigate a hard border, it could seriously affect free trade deals in place between the UK and the EU, and lead to a further rift between the EU and the UK.
Labour Party Brexit spokesman Brendan Howlin the British government should not rip up an agreement it sold to voters as a good deal…
