Speaking in Belfast this morning, Keir Starmer offered ‘political cover’ to the Prime Minister over any change to the Northern Ireland Protocol. A new deal with the EU is thought to be imminent – and Labour sees the chance for mischief.
Starmer said it is ‘time to put Northern Ireland above a Brexit purity cult’ and that ‘we can find ways to remove the majority of checks’ through new solutions, adding that ‘there are legitimate problems with the Protocol and these must be recognised in any negotiations’.
Starmer’s speech is well-timed
His comments are a recognition of the Protocol’s relevance over the next few months. Both the EU and the UK are hopeful of moving closer towards a settlement on post-Brexit trading arrangements, with a new data-sharing agreement this week being hailed by James Cleverly as a ‘positive step’. On Monday, Cleverly is due to meet Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, to discuss the sharing of customs data to reduce the number of checks on goods. Right now, about 20 per cent of all checks on the EU’s external border take place in Northern Ireland.
Starmer’s speech is well-timed. Officials in Downing Street are fearful about what Tory Brexiteers might do if the DUP does not endorse any new agreement. In publicly offering ‘political cover’ for such changes, Starmer is seeking to depict himself as a magnanimous statesman acting in the national interest – while blaming the political stalemate on Rishi Sunak and Conservative MPs.
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