Ease off on protocol talk, Truss urged

Britain's foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has been warned by her European Commission negotiating counterpart, Maros Sefcovic to "dial down" talk of ripping up the parts of the Brexit Agreement relating to Northern Ireland.

The items known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, which keep the province subject to certain European Union trade regulations, while it remains politically part of the United Kingdom, have proved deeply troubling for some members of Northern Ireland's Unionist community, and also to many in the governing Conservative Party.

For trade purposes, it created an invisible border down the Irish Sea, between the mainland of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and months of negotiations have so far failed to resolve the situation.

When the agreement was reached at the end of 2020, it was hailed by David Frost, the British side's chief negotiator, as "an excellent deal …both sides worked tirelessly day after day in challenging conditions".

But now authorities in London are talking about tearing up the Northern Ireland parts, calling them unworkable.

The stakes have been raised further by last week's elections for the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly, which for the first time saw Sinn Fein, a party that favors unification with the Republic of Ireland, emerge as the largest party.

Because of historic tensions within the province, Northern Ireland's government works on a power-sharing basis, with representatives of both sides - Unionists, whose allegiance is to the UK, and Republicans, who want a united Ireland - working together. But Unionist leaders, who oppose the protocol, are now extremely reluctant to work alongside the victorious Republicans, which could potentially bring down the devolved government.

The Independent news website reports that unless there is a change of heart from Brussels around agreed customs checks, Truss backs the UK taking unilateral action over the issue, but Sefcovic has made it clear that the EU is unwilling to compromise.

"We need the UK government to dial down the rhetoric, be honest about the deal they signed and agree to find solutions within its framework," he told the Politico website.

The Daily Telegraph reports that senior Cabinet members, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove, are opposed to Truss's combative approach.

On Monday, Northern Ireland's five main political leaders were due to meet, and Brandon Lewis, the London government's Northern Ireland secretary, urged them to find a way forward, saying the province deserves "a stable and accountable devolved government".

The feeling of isolation from the rest of the UK caused by the protocol, however, make this difficult.

"We have to address the outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland protocol, and we want to do that by agreement with the EU, but as we have always made clear, we will not shy away from taking further steps if necessary," he added.

"However, the people of Northern Ireland need a stable and accountable government that delivers on the issues that are important to them. That is why we urge the parties to come together and form an Executive."