Thread by @BBCPolitics

Brexit is back on the agenda - and everyone’s talking about Northern Ireland

Here’s why 👇🏽
[Thread]
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The government is publishing new legislation called the Internal Market Bill

This could change a key part of last year's EU withdrawal agreement

(Reminder: The withdrawal agreement is the deal the UK left the EU with on 31 January)

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This proposed new bill is designed to protect trade arrangements between the four parts of the UK

But it could also change the nature of new Northern Ireland customs arrangements aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland

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The Northern Ireland (NI) protocol is the part of the Withdrawal Agreement designed to avoid checks along the Irish border

It does this by effectively keeping NI in the EU's single market for goods
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Downing Street denies it would "tear up" the existing treaty

But the EU isn’t happy - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says implementing the Withdrawal Agreement is “an obligation under international law”
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This is all happening just hours before the eighth round of trade talks between the UK and the EU

"If it's meant to be a negotiating tactic, I don't think it's a very effective one,” Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Louise Haigh says
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