Michael Gove has said he is “super cool” with the idea of legislation to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol unilaterally – despite the risk it could spark a trade war with the EU.
The levelling up secretary was said to be furious about foreign secretary Liz Truss pushing for radical action to remove protocol checks – but insisted on Wednesday that he was relaxed about the plan.
Asked how angry he was about the move on a scale of one to 10, Mr Gove told LBC: “Minus five. I’m super cool with it. I’m a big, big Liz Truss fan.”
However, Mr Gove also claimed Boris Johnson was an “expert negotiator” and suggested the threat to ditch the protocol could be part of UK negotiating tactics.
The cabinet minister said the government would talk to the EU over the protocol, but did not rule out unilateral legislative action to scrap checks hated by the DUP and other unionist parties in Northern Ireland.
“We’re going to talk to the EU, but nothing is off the table,” he told Sky News – insisting that it was important to be “prepared to walk away”.
Asked about previous EU warnings of tariffs as part of a trade war over the row, Mr Gove said: “There are some actors who will say certain things. And that’s fine, I’m not going to criticise them. Boris and Liz – they are negotiating duo whom I place my trust.”
Ms Truss has said the EU’s proposals to ease some protocol checks would “take us backwards” – appearing to set the stage for unilateral action on the previously-agreed treaty.
Dismissing the ideas set out by Brusssels in October, the foreign secretary warned on Tuesday that “the answer cannot be more checks, paperwork and disruption”.
Ms Truss added: “Our preference has always been for a negotiated solution but will not shy away from taking action to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland if solutions cannot be found.”
Her comments came hours after EU Commission counterparty Maros Sefcovic said “renegotiation is not an option” – and urged London to match Brussels’ “determination and creativity” to come up with solutions to the dispute.
Officials working for Ms Truss have reportedly drawn up draft legislation to unilaterally scrap checks on all goods being sent from Britain to Northern Ireland – a breach of the treaty negotiated by Mr Johnson – and are keen to announce the move early next week.
In a call with Republic of Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin on Tuesday, Mr Johnson warned that the situation was “now very serious”, with the DUP refusing to enter powersharing at Stormont unless the protocol is ended.
Ireland’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar warned: “We can’t have any unilateral action from the UK – this is an international agreement, they have to honour their obligations.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein’s vice president Michelle O’Neill said on Tuesday that the protocol is “here to stay” and called on the DUP to join an executive at Stormont.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted that the protocol “needs to be dealt with”, adding: “It is decisive action that we need, and we need that to happen quickly.”
