Johnson: I will not hesitate to take unilateral measures over Northern Ireland

By David Hughes and Gavin Cordon, PA

Boris Johnson has warned Brussels he will not hesitate to take unilateral measures to protect the position of Northern Ireland in the increasingly bitter row over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The Prime Minister met key players from the EU side in the margins in the G7 summit as wrangling over the Northern Ireland Protocol threatened to overshadow his hosting of the international gathering.

While Downing Street characterised the discussions as “constructive”, Mr Johnson complained that some of the leaders failed to understand the UK is a single country.

“I just need to get that into their heads,” he said.

He warned that unless there was a solution he would invoke Article 16 of the protocol which allows either side to take unilateral action if its implementation were to lead to “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties”.

His comments followed a series of talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council leader Charles Michel.

The Prime Minister told Sky News: “I think we can sort it out but… it is up to our EU friends and partners to understand that we will do whatever it takes.

“I think if the protocol continues to be applied in this way, then we will obviously not hesitate to invoke Article 16, as I have said before.

“Don’t forget, the EU themselves invoked Article 16 in January, to disapply the protocol, so they can stop removal of vaccines from the EU to the UK.

“I’ve talked to some of our friends here today, who do seem to misunderstand that the UK is a single country, a single territory. I just need to get that into their heads.”