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Take your threats off the table, Johnson tells EU in trade row

Published 12/09/2020, 11:37
Updated 12/09/2020, 21:15
© Reuters. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a Cabinet meeting

© Reuters. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a Cabinet meeting

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the European Union not to threaten Britain on Saturday, saying a bill which would breach a divorce treaty with the bloc was needed to protect the country's integrity.

With the EU stepping up planning for talks on trade to end without a deal, Johnson has accused its negotiators of threatening to impose a food blockade between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

"Let's make the EU take their threats off the table", Johnson said on Twitter. "And let's get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country."

British lawmakers will on Monday begin debating the Internal Markets Bill, which one minister has said would breach international law "in a very specific and limited way".

The government says it is needed to clarify the Northern Ireland protocol element of the Brexit deal it signed in January to protect free trade between the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom

But European lawmakers said on Friday they would not approve any new trade deal unless the withdrawal agreement was fully implemented, while there is also talk of possible legal action.

Both sides have set a deadline of the end of October for a deal, raising the prospect that nearly $1 trillion in trade between the EU and Britain could be thrown into confusion at the start of 2021 when a transition period ends.

'GREAT DEAL'

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Johnson said a "great deal" could still be done but it appeared the EU were now taking an "extreme interpretation" of the Northern Irish protocol.

"We never seriously believed that the EU would be willing to use a treaty, negotiated in good faith, to blockade one part of the UK, to cut it off, or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK."

Johnson's bill also faces opposition from senior figures in his Conservative Party and some of his own lawmakers who are unhappy at the prospect of infringing international law.

In a video conference call with his lawmakers on Friday he appealed for support for his bill and for them to avoid repeating the "squabbling" over the Brexit divorce deal which saw some quit the party and others thrown out.

Michael Gove, one of Johnson's most senior ministers, said the government had the support of its own lawmakers and those in other parties. But some were clearly unconvinced.

"Unamended I cannot support this Bill ... (it) is damaging brand UK, diminishing our role-model status as defender of global standards," Conservative lawmaker Tobias Ellwood and chairman of parliament's defence committee wrote on Twitter.

© Reuters. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a Cabinet meeting

Pushed on whether Britain would be breaking international law, Gove said the bill was consistent with "the rule of law" and denied it was a negotiating tactic to put pressure on the EU to make concessions for a trade deal.

Latest comments

since common sense sounds as an attack to you brexiteers there is no point to contribute to your way of thinking- waste of time - keep on with your sideways thinking... your constant comments of attacks and insults to the eu of your own mistakes only makes the european union turn its back the more away from the uk.... it’s only brexit school lesson of hard times and challeges ahead for the uk economy that will do the trick to make your brains function properly..
You really sound deparate!! Your comment is absolute gobbledygook. A very bitter salty remoaner. Threatening to block UK mainland from freely trading with Northern Ireland is an attact on UK soverienity FACT: Will you allow someone to dictate what you are allowed to do in certain parts of your home? Really? Calm down man, before you burst a nerve.
Hard Brexit - Reset and start from scratch. No EU laws to follow. UK only has to follow World Trading Rules. If the EU then wants to deal they can start from scratch.
What an entirely dumb thing to say. Go back to school.
Hard Brexit would not change the preservation of EU law which the Withdrawal Act provided for.
Rather than insult, why not put your point across? Its clear who need to go back to school here
EU want UK to be a vassal state and to pay homage to Brussels. You can stick it son!
No, PM. EU is not stopping trade with the UK, except that she isn't getting preferential terms.
The UK hasn't asked for special treatment. Again, another person who can't read.
Dear (as in costly) Mr Johnson. You wanted to Exit Europe but you appear to want to remain in part of the European project: the free market component for which You are trying to negotiate a deal. You want to take back control of your borders but you want an open border with europe in Ireland. You want to have your cake and eat it but you want to destroy europe’s cake in the process. It is time to grow up and realise that the charm and tantrums of a spoilt 5 year old child has no effect on the elected representatives of Europe or their civil (pun intended) servants Also, you have been shouting foul of unelected bureaucrats yet you appear blind to our own unelected head of state ( God bless her) or house of LordsYou come across, Mr Johnson, as nothing more than a joke and a caricature of the establishment that created you. Sadly the joke is in poor taste as the commoners are the ones (on both sides of the channels) who will pay the price of your ambition and antics.
They have said a million times, they want the exact same status as Canada. Why is that so hard for remoaners to understand? ****Eared or thick.
A crash of a country ahead... don’t get how so bright people fromUK can shot themselve in the foot that way ! As if all the gesture of JoJo would change anything... The divorce is acted, the bill has been agreed... when you leave the house, dont expect to come and think it is business as usual. You are out... and all the benefits are over. Good luck... all the best !
Keep telling yourself that. Delusions of grandeur.How unfortunate for you that the EU has the lowest growth of any region in the world huh.....The project built into a mechanism to devalue the Deutsch Mark and nothing else.
Mr Johnson when you go into other trade agreements with other countries tell them same that it was neccesary to amend the agreement because of xyz for the interest of your country - now at least the brexiteers will understand that you think sideways and want other countries to understand - irresponsible leader
Sir Boris, if only all our prime ministers showed the same leadership. What a legend.
Who put NI in this situation? Sure as h e l l not the EU.
- I bet you think Donald Trump is a hero as well don’t you?
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