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It has been almost six months since Boris Johnson left his role as Prime Minister, but the spectre of our bungling former leader still looms large in Westminster. With the government now seeking to renegotiate the Northern Ireland Protocol, talks are at a delicate stage.
Rishi Sunak and his allies are working to soften the blow of trade barriers across the Irish Sea, and to clarify the defined jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland. The complex discussions require nuance, compromise, and cool heads.
That’s why the presence of Boris Johnson is seen as a very unwelcome factor by those in Sunak’s camp. It was reported over the weekend that BoJo is strongly opposed to any course of action that would steer the UK away from his dubious protocol agreement.
One source has described Mr. Johnson as ‘a nuisance‘ over the whole affair, and his very public position is seen as a direct threat to the current PM’s authority. Indeed, there is now a growing consensus that Johnson must now ‘enter a period of silence’ over the matter.
Senior Labour figure Peter Mandelson used those exact words on Sunday. He has accused Boris of lying about the deal, trying to wreck the renegotiations, and driving a wedge between Britain, Ireland, and the EU.
“The way the NI Protocol was agreed was not satisfactory. Johnson imposed it without consulting the relevant bodies. He then told lies about it to unionists in Norther Ireland, while also ruining our relationship with the Republic of Ireland.”
“It has destroyed trust between Britain and the EU. I hope he’s not going to come in and start wrecking everything again. A period of silence on his part would be most welcome. We need negotiations to continue, but in a more flexible way.” | Peter Mandelson
