Labour says suspending NI protocol would be ‘profoundly tragic’

It would be “profoundly tragic” if the government moves to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, shadow secretary for international trade Emily Thornberry has said.

The Labour MP said Downing Street should “step back from the brink”.

Earlier this month 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.”

The protocol was implemented to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the wake of Brexit, and by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods.

Speaking to BBC News Northern Ireland at the Labour party conference in Brighton earlier today, Ms Thornberry said it was “sad” that the government was “not prepared to compromise”.

She went on: “This is a government that is so dogmatic, that won’t roll up its sleeves and solve problems – we need grown up politicians to get in there and sort it our because it’s not impossible.”

“The government keeps saying they’re going to trigger Article 16 – I hope they don’t because triggering it is not a long-term solution, the government is kicking the can down the road and they need to deal with it.”