Kir Starmer said Monday that the government’s plan to circumvent elements of the Northern Ireland protocol would reduce the chances of a deal with the EU. The Labor leader said that the issues with Brussels could be resolved “around the negotiating table with the state” and not with legislation that “violates international law” and will block negotiations. Boris Johnson, meanwhile, insisted that the plan to effectively bypass parts of the Brexit deal with the EU “was not a big deal”. Legislation to unilaterally amend the protocol will be introduced in Parliament on Monday, amid controversy over whether the legislation violates international law. “What it is doing is creating unnecessary obstacles to East-West trade – what we can do is fix it. “It’s not a big deal,” he said during a visit to Cornwall. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the plan would “intensify” tensions and violate the UK’s international commitments, and that the allegations signaled a certain “low point” in the Brexit talks. However, Mr Johnson insisted the legislation would introduce “relatively simple” bureaucratic changes and warned that it would be a “big overreaction” if Brussels sought to retaliate by sparking a trade war.

Basic points

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The majority of MLAs oppose the modification of the NI protocol

A majority of the Assembly of Legislators (MLAs) in Stormont signed a joint letter to Boris Johnson stating their opposition to the proposed legislation amending the Northern Ireland Protocol. The letter has been signed by 52 of the 90 MLA. They represent Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance Party. The letter to Mr Johnson states that the signatories “vehemently reject the reckless new government protocol legislation that runs counter to the wishes expressed not only by most businesses but by most people in Northern Ireland.” . He goes on to say that “although it is not ideal, the protocol is currently the only one available”. Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 15:22 1655128665

The contraction of the economy in April was due to the end of the mass tests of Covid-19, says No. 10

Downing Street said the latest data showing the economy shrinking in April was “significantly affected” by the end of the Covid-19 mass tests and “excluding the reduced number of Covid tests, the rest of the economy grew by 0.1%.” in April “. “Thus, we are focusing on the growth of the economy to reduce the cost of living and we will continue to work to create the conditions for economic growth,” he said. “We believe we have strong foundations in our economy that will help it grow. We recognize that there are strong opposite winds as we emerge from this pandemic and with war in Europe. “This is a challenge not only for the United Kingdom but also for countries around the world.” The spokesman said it was “too early to judge” the impact of Brexit, especially given the effects of the pandemic. But “we are confident that the opportunities provided by Brexit will be of benefit to the UK economy in the long run.” Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 14:57 1655127922

The Labor leader is “certain” that he has done nothing wrong in the midst of a parliamentary inquiry

The Labor leader is “certain” that he has done nothing wrong in the midst of a parliamentary inquiry Joe Middleton June 13, 2022 2:45 p.m. 1655127310

Changes to the NI protocol will be “detrimental to mutual trust and a formula for uncertainty,” says Šefčovič

Maroš Šefčovič, vice-president of the European Commission, said he spoke to Liz Truss this morning about the government’s planned changes to the NI protocol. He said it would be “harmful to mutual trust and a formula for uncertainty”. Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 14:35 1655126667

Fuel prices investigated by security guard as petrol reaches new record high

Fuel prices are set to be investigated by the UK Competition Authority as pump prices hit a record high despite a 5 pp tax cut by Rishi Sunak. The average cost of a liter of gasoline in the suburbs rose to 185 p.m. on Sunday, according to AA – an increase of 7.1 p.m. in just one week. The RAC described the “speed and scale” of the increases as “amazing”. The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) announced on Monday that it would conduct a “brief and focused review” of prices at the request of Kwasi Kwarteng. Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 14:24 1655125240

The NI protocol bill will make the deal with the EU more difficult, Starmer says

Keir Starmer said the NI protocol bill being published today would reduce the chances of an agreement with the EU and that the government was “going wrong here”. The Labor leader said: “I think the answer to that is to accept that there are some problems in the way the protocol works, but they can be resolved around the negotiating table with states, with deceit, with trust. “Unfortunately, we do not have these in the current prime minister. “They will not be resolved by legislation that violates international law and that, frankly, will impede the negotiations that will ultimately be needed to resolve this.” “So the government is going the wrong way here.” Joe Middleton June 13, 2022 2:00 p.m. 1655124271

Boris Johnson says Brexit breach plan ‘not big deal’

Boris Johnson has insisted that a plan to split parts of the Northern Ireland Brexit deal “is not a big deal”. The prime minister was warned by Dublin this morning that the move would “deeply damage” relations between Britain and Europe if it went ahead. But the prime minister insisted the legislation amounted to “a relatively insignificant set of adjustments” to address the problems posed by the deal negotiated. Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 13:44 1655123598

“No plan” to reduce fuel tariffs, say No. 10

Downing Street said there were “no plans” to further reduce fuel tariffs, despite pump prices continuing to rise. “We know this is difficult for families in the country and in other countries, all of which are suffering from high oil and gas prices worldwide,” said a spokesman for the prime minister. However, there were no plans to cut tariffs further, with a spokesman pointing to a 37 37 billion package already announced to address the cost-of-life crisis, including a 5 per cent tariff cut introduced in March. Downing Street also denied that the State was benefiting from an unexpected VAT gain as a result of high pump prices. “There is no unexpected VAT profit, in fact OBR forecasts lower VAT revenues for this year than in the autumn,” the spokesman said. “Fuel VAT increases are likely to be largely offset by VAT reductions from other regions.” Joe Middleton June 13, 2022 1:33 PM 1655121624

Boris Johnson has “nothing but respect and admiration” for Prince Charles amid criticism in Rwanda

Boris Johnson has “nothing but respect and admiration” for the Prince of Wales after he allegedly criticized Rwanda’s policy, Downing Street said on Monday. A spokesman for the prime minister said: “The prime minister has nothing but respect and admiration for the Prince of Wales, who has spoken openly on a number of issues, most notably the environment.” Mr Johnson’s response came after reports that the heir to the throne said the policy was “disgusting” and that he felt uncomfortable with the plan as he believed it would overshadow his upcoming visit to the country. Joe Middleton June 13, 2022 1:00 p.m. 1655120714

Detainees at Brook House’s detention center shout ‘No to Rwanda’

Detainees at Brook House’s detention center shout ‘No to Rwanda’ Joe Middleton 13 June 2022 12:45