Lord Frost tells the Policy Exchange event this morning that the UK government will set out its approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol "in the next week or two" and "before the summer recess"
A lot of emphasis from Lord Frost and Brandon Lewis on the impacts of the Protocol: societal impacts and trade diversion.
They say that their "understanding" of the Protocol, at the time when it was signed, was that it was going to work differently.
They say that their "understanding" of the Protocol, at the time when it was signed, was that it was going to work differently.
It sounds to me like a government lawyer, somewhere in the deep corridors of Whitehall, has been instructed to prepare an Article 16 case.
Lord Frost says that dynamic alignment to EU SPS law, as a solution to the NI Protocol problems, is "simply a non-starter".
Also says that they suggested an alternative "based on equivalence" and haven't yet been able to discuss it in depth with the Commission.
Also says that they suggested an alternative "based on equivalence" and haven't yet been able to discuss it in depth with the Commission.
To be fair to Lord Frost, he also emphasises the need to find a "consensual" way forward.
And, importantly, said that it wasn't the intention of HMG for Ireland to pay the price with new checks btw Ireland and the rest of EU. A pity that wasn't said in his Irish Times article.
And, importantly, said that it wasn't the intention of HMG for Ireland to pay the price with new checks btw Ireland and the rest of EU. A pity that wasn't said in his Irish Times article.
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