Britain is ready to suspend a trade deal with the European Union (EU) unilaterally, according to UK Brexit Minister David Frost on Monday.
He told the House of Lords, that the EU should accept the UK’s proposal to renegotiate part of the Northern Ireland protocol seriously if it wants to prevent a collapse in this agreement.
The former chief Brexit negotiator said the bloc would make a big mistake if they thought the UK would not use Article 16 protections, which could allow both sides to delay the deal if it had a negative impact.
Speaking in front of other policymakers, he strongly urged the EU to look seriously at the matter before they use such protections to address the situation.
The government will confirm today, whether they will postpone the introduction of import inspections of goods from the EU until next year to avoid a supply shortage ahead of the Christmas celebrations.
Earlier, the UK had demanded major and significant changes in the protocol which had led to disruption of internal trade between Britain and Northern Ireland by renegotiating the agreement.
However, the request was rejected by the EU saying the protocol was a permanent part of an agreement agreed by the UK and the EU. Both parties are legally bound to fulfill their obligations under the agreement.
