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Boris Johnson is being warned against triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to suspend parts of post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border.

There is growing speculation that the prime minister could soon trigger Article 16 as ongoing talks between the EU and UK continue to fail to resolve problems such as the “sausage war” and other issues.

Sky News revealed last month how ministers are holding discussions inside a key cabinet committee about the repercussions of such a move.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves an art exhibition on The Mall in London, Britain, November 5, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
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There is growing speculation that Boris Johnson could trigger Article 16

However, Mr Johnson has been given fresh warnings about the impact of invoking Article 16.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the activation of Article 16 by the UK could put at risk the entire Brexit withdrawal deal.

“It would demonstrate just again colossal bad faith and demonstrate again that Ireland, the north of Ireland in particular, is collateral damage in the Tory Brexit as they play games and play a game of chicken with the European institutions,” she told BBC One Northern Ireland’s Sunday Politics programme.

“I would also say that if the British government imagine that they hold all of the cards they are wrong, and they’re playing a very, very dangerous game, up to and including perhaps jeopardising the entire withdrawal agreement.”

Ms McDonald called on the UK government to “act in good faith” and “adopt a position that is serious and that has a long-term view” as she warned of “very grave” consequences.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that suspending parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol would not solve the UK-EU dispute.

“I don’t think that triggering Article 16 will resolve the dispute in relation to the protocol in Northern Ireland,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“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.”

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What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

Sir Keir 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.”

The Labour leader also suggested that Mr Johnson was “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”.

The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed between the UK and EU as a means of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland, and is a key part of the UK’s divorce deal with the EU.

However, the prime minister has said the current implementation of the protocol – which keeps Northern Ireland within much of the EU’s single market and customs rules – is having a “damaging impact” on the people of Northern Ireland.

One flashpoint includes a possible ban on chilled meats – such as sausages – moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

File photo dated 10/11/2020 of Lord David Frost
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Brexit minister Lord Frost is due to hold more talks with the EU this week

The oversight role of the European Court of Justice in the operation of the Protocol also remains a key sticking point in UK-EU talks.

Brexit minister Lord Frost is due to meet again with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in London next week.

Following talks between the pair in Brussels on Friday, the UK government said that “progress had been limited” but that “gaps could still be bridged through further intensive discussions”.

Prior to Friday’s meeting with Mr Sefcovic, Lord Frost said: “We’re not going to trigger Article 16 today, but Article 16 is very much on the table and has been since July.”

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What’s behind Starmer’s reset?

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What's behind Starmer's reset?

👉Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne’s on your podcast app👈       

As MPs return to Westminster for a packed autumn term, will the prime minister be back with a bang?

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss Keir Starmer’s priorities as the so-called “reset week” begins.

There’s chatter around No 10 of a staffing restructure but could this impact the government’s message and delivery of its missions?

Back in the Commons, the home secretary will lay out the government’s plans to restrict family members from joining asylum seekers.

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What to expect with US crypto policy as Congress comes back in session

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What to expect with US crypto policy as Congress comes back in session

What to expect with US crypto policy as Congress comes back in session

According to some Republican lawmakers, the first crypto-related priority in the Senate will be to pass legislation for market structure.

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Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘Mr Fixit’ is likely to be a recipe for conflict

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Sir Keir Starmer's 'Mr Fixit' is likely to be a recipe for conflict

After a torrid time before the summer break, Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled his inner circle again on the first day back. 

This has become something of a habit.

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Although none of the Number 10 team are household names or public figures, the tally of those cycling through the top jobs is worth noting.

As of now, he’s had four chiefs of staff – the incumbent returning to the job, two cabinet secretaries with a third rumoured to be on the way and five directors of communications – a job that routinely fails to last a year these days.

The lesson this tells us is that when there’s blame to go around, Sir Keir is happy to apportion it to his closest aides.

In an interview today, the prime minister was clear that these changes are about moving to a new phase of government, more focused on delivery.

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A delivery phase implies legislation completed and a focus on implementation. Bluntly, this is not the case or an accurate assessment of the job that now needs to be done.

The autumn term is not about implementation.

It’s about filling the £20bn to £40bn black hole we expect to emerge in the autumn budget, as well as continuing to deal with an uncertain world globally, and deciding on massively tricky domestic issues like reform of special educational needs and whether to revisit welfare reform.

We are still at the “big choices” section of this parliament, not the delivery phase.

The big choice in Sir Keir’s reset on Monday has been to bring in his own Mr Fixit into Downing Street.

He chose a mid-level cabinet minister, Darren Jones – until today the number two in the Treasury – and has parachuted him into his office to oversee policy.

This is an appointment, I’m told, that was pushed and encouraged by Rachel Reeves because of Mr Jones’ role in the spending review.

As chief secretary, Mr Jones is meant to have gone item by item through every department’s budget. He knows where the financial bodies are buried and will be a major alternate source of advice for Sir Keir to individual cabinet ministers.

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This is undoubtedly a recipe for conflict. There are already some around the cabinet table who found Mr Jones’ style a touch brusque. His fans say this is part of why he is effective: he is prepared to challenge what he’s told, is an independent thinker and unafraid to challenge big beasts.

He will now play this role permanently, on behalf of the prime minister, and structurally, this means he is bound to be disliked by several of these colleagues who will no doubt, in time, seek to undermine him, just as he will challenge them and have the last word with Sir Keir.

No matter that some might be surprised at the choice, as a fiscal and reforming hawk, since few would put him on the same ideological wing of the party as the prime minister. He is also a late joiner to the Starmer project, although joining in opposition spent years longer than some as chair of the business select committee rather than taking more junior roles.

This is now immaterial. He is responsible for making Sir Keir’s government work in practice. His colleagues could do worse than to sincerely wish him good luck and leave him to it, as there is a great deal to be done.

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