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British Labour leader Keir Starmer has said suspending parts of Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal will not resolve the dispute between the UK and EU.
Asked if he would support the government if it triggers Article 16, the Labour leader told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “I don’t think that triggering Article 16 will resolve the dispute in relation to the protocol in Northern Ireland.
“That isn’t in the interests of the communities in Northern Ireland or businesses in Northern Ireland. What is in their interests is resolving the issues.
“Because of the way the protocol was drafted, because of what the prime minister signed, it is perfectly true that there are checks from Great Britain to Northern Ireland — we want to reduce those.”
He added: “What I am saying is don’t rip up the protocol because that has that very important central purpose, which is to protect the no border in Northern Ireland.”
Mr Starmer said he wants to see “both sides sitting down and resolving this”, adding: “There’s a little bit of me, Andrew, I am afraid that can’t help think that the prime minister is constantly trying to pick a fight on things like this so he hopes people don’t look elsewhere in the forest, which are things like the Owen Paterson affair.” Mr Paterson resigned as an MP in recent days after Boris Johnson abandoned a plan to save him from being suspended from parliament for breaking rules on paid lobbying.
There is intensifying speculation that the British government was moving towards using the article 16 clause to unilaterally suspend parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, which creates a trade border in the Irish Sea so it is avoided on the island of Ireland.
On Saturday former British prime minister John Major said he warned Boris Johnson that suspending parts of Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal would be dangerous and “colossally stupid”. He said the move would damage relations with the European Union and the United States and could further destabilise Northern Ireland.
Talks between the EU and UK over the Northern Ireland protocol continue but UK Brexit minister David Frost has warned that the option of unilaterally abandoning parts of the agreement remained “very much on the table”.
On Friday European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic held talks with Mr Frost in Brussels. Mr Sefcovic said engagement with London had been “disappointing”. Pressure is mounting from EU member states on the commission to prepare contingency plans, including potential retaliatory trade measures.