NI Protocol: EU proposals would take us backwards and UK won’t shy away from action, says Liz Truss

Liz Truss said some proposals put forward by the European Union during months of discussions on the post-Brexit treaty would “take us backwards” as she argued against introducing “more checks, paperwork and disruption”.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said that, under EU proposals suggested in October, trading arrangements could worsen and everyday items could disappear from shop shelves in Northern Ireland.

It comes as the DUP, which came second in last week’s Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, warned the prime minister it would not nominate a deputy first minister to form an Executive until “decisive action is taken on the protocol”.

The foreign secretary said: “The current EU proposals fail to properly address the real issues affecting Northern Ireland and in some cases would take us backward.

“Prices have risen, trade is being badly disrupted, and the people of Northern Ireland are subject to different laws and taxes than those over the Irish Sea, which has left them without an Executive and poses a threat to peace and stability.

“The answer cannot be more checks, paperwork and disruption.

“Our preference has always been for a negotiated solution but will not shy away from taking action to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland if solutions cannot be found.”

In a move to highlight the impact full implementation of the protocol could have, Foreign Office officials said that if grace periods in the so-called “sausage wars” were not in place then Lincolnshire sausages and other chilled meats from Great Britain would need a veterinary certificate to enter Northern Ireland.

The department cited figures suggesting that at least 200 retailers in Great Britain have stopped delivering to customers in Northern Ireland amid increased trade friction.

The FCDO said full protocol controls would also provide powers to search people’s bags for food, such as ham sandwiches, on departure from the ferry to Northern Ireland.

Pet owners would, meanwhile, need to pay up to £280 for certificates and jabs for their pets to go on holiday in the UK, the department added.

The UK government has also lamented that some VAT cuts cannot be applied to Northern Ireland as the protocol means EU rates still apply there for goods.

The March spring statement measure announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to expand VAT reliefs for energy saving materials cannot currently be applied in Northern Ireland, officials pointed out.

Ms Truss’ latest comments follow reports that she is set to move to discard large portions of the protocol after giving up on Brexit negotiations with the EU.

The FCDO, in a release on Tuesday, said European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic had “made clear” in a call to Ms Truss last week that the EU “did not have, and in his view would never have, a mandate to renegotiate the protocol” or to go beyond the existing proposals.