Rishi Sunak’s bid to get Brexit “done” faces a crucial week, with key talks on resolving Northern Ireland’s trade relationship and Tory rebellion over proposed EU legislation.
On Monday James Cleverly, the British foreign secretary, will hold talks with Maroš Šefčovič, vice president of the European Commission, with the aim of clearing the way for an agreement in the first quarter of 2023 on the Northern Ireland protocol, which governs the region. trade arrangements.
Last week, the two sides achieved a tentative breakthrough with a deal that would allow the EU to share “real-time” UK data on trade flows across the Irish Sea from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Cerdas and Šefčovič follow-up talks, by video link, intended to find whether there is enough common ground to allow the next phase of intensive and confidential discussions to take place in the so-called “tunnel”.
The Northern Ireland Protocol, part of Boris Johnson’s 2019 Brexit deal, creates a border for intra-UK trade from the UK to Northern Ireland, which remains part of the EU’s single market for goods. But the Democratic Unionist party, the largest pro-British political force in the region, withdrew from the government in a show of force over its objections to the protocol.
UK and EU officials have tried to play down the chances of success on Monday. One British official said: “It’s one scenario, but I’m not betting money on it.”
EU diplomats described the talks as “confidence building”, with both sides eyeing the possibility of resolving the issue before the April 25 anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Much depends on whether Sunak feels he can take on Eurosceptics in his own party with a compromise deal and whether the EU can show more flexibility in its position.
Meanwhile, Sunak’s plan to automatically purge “retained EU law” from the UK statute book by the end of 2023 is coming under fresh criticism from senior Tory MPs, who want parliament to have more say in the process.
The Retained EU Bill, which has its final Commons report stage on Wednesday, has a “sunset clause” that repeals all EU legislation that hasn’t been specifically reviewed by ministers and put on hold.
David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, and Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the Commons justice committee, have backed the move to give parliament more say in the process.
Stella Creasy, the Labor MP behind the amendment to the Bill, hopes other Tory MPs also support; the idea to give parliament said more has been opposed by the government in the past, setting up a Commons showdown.
Creasy, chairman of the Labor Movement for Europe, said: “If Brexit is about taking back control, it’s not about taking control back from parliament and giving it to Number 10.”
The amendment requires the government to publish a complete list of all laws to be repealed at least three months before their expiration date. Parliament can then pass a resolution to amend the list.
Ministers have been unable to say exactly how many “retained EU laws” are on the statute books; many of which cover issues such as consumer rights and environmental protection.
Last year the Financial Times announced that the National Archives had found another 1,400 steps, on top of the 2,400 previously known.