Truss says she is ‘completely committed’ to Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

By Martina Bet and Ben Hatton, PA Political Staff

The British prime minister has said she is “completely committed” to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and that negotiations with the EU will reflect “the same position”.

The Bill, which would allow the UK government to effectively tear up parts of the protocol, starts its committee stage in the House of Lords next week, where it is expected to face stern opposition.

The protocol was aimed at avoiding a hard border with the Republic but has created economic barriers on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, causing resentment and anger among many unionists and loyalists.

The dispute has also created an impasse in efforts to form a devolved government administration in Belfast, with the DUP refusing to return to powersharing.

The UK government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by way of a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation that would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative former cabinet minister David Jones asked Ms Truss to confirm it is still the UK government’s intention that “the Bill should remain unamended” and in particular, that the European Court of Justice should have “no jurisdiction in any part of the United Kingdom”.

Liz Truss failed to address the two specific points raised by Mr Jones, but said: “I am completely committed to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

“It deals with the very specific issues we face in Northern Ireland, the free flow of trade and also making sure that the people of Northern Ireland are able to benefit from being part of the United Kingdom.

“And I can tell my honourable friend that any negotiations will reflect the same position that is in the Protocol Bill.”

Mr Jones is the deputy chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tories, with whom the prime minister met on Tuesday evening in a bid to shore up their support.

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill was not the only Brexit-related issue raised during PMQs.

Labour MP Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) told MPs: “I wonder if she (the Prime Minister) could tell us why next week this House will be discussing legislation that will abolish vital protections on pension payouts, it will abolish our right to watch the Olympics free of charge and airline consumer laws.

“How is any of the Retained Law Bill in the British interest?”

Ms Truss said Ms Creasy’s question was “yet another example of somebody who doesn’t want to support British public’s decision to leave the European Union”.

She went on: “Isn’t it quite incredible that six years after people voted to leave the European Union, there are people who object to taking EU law off our statute books?”