Protocol problems
SELDOM CAN a mere treaty protocol have caused so much fuss so soon after it was signed. Under Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, Great Britain has left the European Union’s single market and customs union. But to avoid a hard north-south border in Ireland, Northern Ireland has, in effect, remained in both. That necessitates border and customs checks between the province and Great Britain instead.
The prime minister is now attacking Brussels for its legal purism in enforcing their agreement. His supporters denounce the EU’s colonialism and lack of feel for delicate Northern Irish politics. They have even accused EU leaders of treating the province as if it were no longer a full member of the United Kingdom.
Yet it was Mr Johnson who chose to negotiate the protocol as the alternative to the loathed “backstop” engineered by Theresa May, his predecessor. This would have kept the entire United Kingdom in a customs union with the EU. The protocol lays down precisely how this alternative arrangement should work, including rules to block movement of chilled meats such as fresh sausages, after a grace period that expires on June 30th.
Mr Johnson knew all this when he triumphantly ratified the protocol, calling it the best of both worlds....