Britain will not back down over Brexit legislation, Michael Gove tells the EU

At talks in Brussels yesterday, European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic reiterated calls for ministers to scrap provisions in the UK Internal Market Bill giving them the power to override key provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement.

At a news conference following the meeting of the joint committee on the implementation of the agreement, Mr Sefcovic said the EU “will not be shy” in taking legal action if the UK fails to comply by the deadline of the end of the month tomorrow.

Mr Sefcovic said the Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was intended to protect the peace process.

“We are willing to work hard with the UK on these issues over the coming days and weeks,” he said.

He said that he had requested that the next meeting of a specialist committee looking at the issue take place by early October at the latest.

“We maintain that the Bill if adopted in its current form would constitute an extremely serious violation of the (Northern Ireland) protocol as an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement and of international law,” he said.

“The Withdrawal Agreement is to be implemented, not to be renegotiated, let alone unilaterally changed, disregarded or disapplied.”

However the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who co-chairs the committee with Mr Sefcovic, said the the Government intended to continue with passage of the Bill through Parliament.

He said the provisions relating to the Northern Ireland protocol in the agreement were a legal “safety net” to ensure the Government could continue to protect the peace process if talks on a post-Brexit free trade deal fail.

“We want to reach agreement in the joint committee, we want to make sure that the position of Northern Ireland is secure in the United Kingdom, we want to make sure that Withdrawal Agreement is implemented in full.

“But those clauses are there.

“They are in legislation supported by the House of Commons as a safety net if need be.

“And those clauses will remain that Bill.”

Downing Street said “significant gaps” still remained between the UK and European Union over a potential trade deal.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “Although the last few weeks of informal talks have been positive, there remains much to be done. The fundamentals of our position have not changed.