The European Union ramped up its legal campaign against the UK over breaches to the Brexit deal, days after legislation allowing Britain to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol cleared the House of Commons.
On Friday, the European Commission launched four additional infringement proceedings against the UK, claiming the government had failed to comply with customs and value-added tax rules it signed up to. Britain has two months to respond, after which the European Commission said it is ready to take further measures.
The move marks an escalation of tensions as Britain’s ruling Conservative party prepares to elect a new leader. Both Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, the two candidates to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, have ruled out withdrawing the controversial legislation which would let Britain unilaterally rewrite key parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.
