Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned the EU that the UK Government will take action on the Northern Ireland Protocol if negotiators in Brussels do not show sufficient flexibility. Days after historic Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, post-Brexit arrangements are once again threatening to cause a serious clash between the UK and the EU.
The protocol forms part of the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU; under its terms, the UK is required to impose checks on some goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in order to maintain an open border with the Republic while protecting the EU single market.
However the Government has complained that the way it is being implemented is imposing a huge burden on businesses in Northern Ireland while leading to a renewal of sectarian tensions. Here are answers to some of the main questions.
