Biden warns Johnson over NI protocol

US President Joe Biden has cautioned Boris Johnson over allowing post-Brexit disputes to disrupt Northern Ireland’s peace process.

Addressing questions alongside the prime minister at the White House yesterday, the US president said he felt “very strongly” that any shifts in the “Irish accords” could risk peace and result in “a closed border” between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Last week Northern Ireland minister Lord Frost told the House of Lords that it would be a “significant mistake” to assume the UK would not trigger Article 16, the part of the Northern Ireland Protocol which permits elements of the deal being temporarily suspended if they are evidenced to be causing “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade.”

Biden has previously said a UK-US trade deal would not be possible if the Northern Ireland peace process was undermined by Brexit.

Stephen Farry MP, deputy leader of centrist Northern Ireland party Alliance commented on the remarks via Twitter: