Lord Frost says government had to ‘live by skin of their teeth’ in protocol talks

Lord Frost says government had to “live by skin of their teeth” in the negotiations that led to the Northern Ireland protocol.

Last month foreign secretary Liz Truss announced legislation that will unilaterally suspend swathes of the post-Brexit deal amid warnings it could spark an EU-UK trade war.

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

It has been heavily criticised by unionist groups for allegedly undermining the union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which remains outside the EU customs union.

Frost said that the government felt the negotiations had to be talks “among equals”.

He also lamented that the process had been “highly politicised” and that the deal was the best compromise available at the time.