Boris Johnson

British prime minister Boris Johnson was booed and jeered by around 200 people as he arrived at Hillsborough Castle.

“People have voted for real change and that’s what people are going to get.” “People have had it now with the choreography between No 10 and the DUP,” she said. She spoke briefly to media outside Hillsborough Castle as she arrived, along with her party’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill and caretaker finance minister Conor Murphy.

The EU is adamant that the Withdrawal Agreement is honoured, and that the UK government faces up to the consequence of Brexit - a trade border between the ...

Mr Johnson is gambling that risking a fight with Brussels might bring the DUP around. But the deadlock remains and is now threatening the functioning of Northern Ireland's assembly. But the challenges of the delicate diplomatic dance are obvious. And that means I want to see the government enact legislation that will bring the solution that we need." And finally, for all Sinn Fein's frustration on Monday, it will be part of the solution, not the problem. "What we needed to hear from Boris Johnson is that the executive must be formed.

The prime minister lacks the authority to fix the problems his protocol has caused. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland suffers, says Guardian columnist Simon ...

The reality is that any border is a border, offering any number of impediments to trade. That at least would be a silver lining on the Brexit cloud. It chose to leave the EU, but the EU should respect that. For the moment Johnson owes it to Northern Ireland to free it from the mess into which hard Brexit has condemned it. There is no need to chase trawlers across the high seas or follow British number plates through the lanes of Louth and Donegal. Surely there is compromise somewhere here. By the same token, it is clearly worth attempting yet again to plead with Brussels’ better nature to find some partial compromise on the border question. The reality is that democracy in Northern Ireland is starting to change, and in a welcome and more open direction. In particular, its health service is delivering some of the worst outcomes of any part of the UK: just last week it was reported that the number of people waiting for more than 12 hours in A&E had doubled in a year. Johnson in effect ceded authority over the 40% of Britain’s trade that is with the EU under the pretence that he was “taking back control”. But it takes two to trade. To get hard Brexit into law and topple his predecessor, Theresa May, he told Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party that he would allow no border in the Irish Sea. He promptly allowed one, and signed a protocol to the Brexit deal to that effect. The question is what new “constructive ambiguity” – a euphemism for fudge – Johnson can conceivably fashion to get him out of this mess. Amid all the shouting and screaming of Brexit, quiet voices were warning: don’t forget Northern Ireland. The Brexiters dismissed it as a historical trifle.

Mr Johnson's visit comes amid heightened tensions between the EU and Britain over the prospect of him moving to override elements of the protocol by way of ...

One of Northern Ireland’s main daily papers, The Irish News, published an editorial in the format of an open letter to Mr Johnson on Monday morning urging him to reflect on the fact that a majority in Stormont endorses the protocol. Sinn Féin, which is now entitled to the first minister’s role, has accused the DUP of holding the people of Northern Ireland to ransom by not allowing Stormont to function in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. “And we will continue to protect the single market, as it has been protected throughout the existence of the protocol so far, and the open border with the Republic of Ireland which will always be of paramount importance. Contention over the protocol will not be the sole focus of Mr Johnson on Monday as he will also use his visit to pledge delivery of three pre-existing commitments, a stalled language and culture package; ensuring women and girls have full access to abortion services; and introducing new measures to deal with the legacy of the past. The powersharing institutions have been plunged into crisis in the wake of the recent Assembly election with the DUP refusing to re-enter a devolved government in protest at the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol, which has created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. The visit comes amid heightened tensions between the EU and Britain over the prospect of him moving to override elements of the protocol by way of domestic legislation at Westminster.

DUP refuses to join power-sharing government in Belfast until UK legislation to override trade deal is enacted.

The UK's prime minister flew to Belfast in an attempt to break the deadlock preventing the formation of a new executive.

It’s an extraordinary proposal and one that would amplify the bad faith with which the Tory government has conducted itself from the beginning of the entire Brexit debacle.” We don’t want to scrap it, but we think it can be fixed.” The row over the protocol has prevented the formation of a new executive, with Sinn Féin’s president accusing Mr Johnson of “placating” the DUP over the issue. The UK's prime minister travelled to Belfast to meet leaders of the Stormont parties in an attempt to secure progress – but Mr Johnson also used the trip to issue a warning to Brussels that the UK is prepared to rewrite unilaterally the terms of the Brexit deal he signed. The move could risk a trade war with the EU, but Mr Johnson is frustrated that talks with Brussels to resolve the protocol problems have not made sufficient progress. The row over the Northern Ireland Protocol has created an impasse in efforts to form a new executive in Stormont, with the Democratic Unionist Party refusing to join a new administration unless its concerns over the arrangements are addressed.

Government wants to 'fix' protocol, not 'scrap' it, says PM.

Mr Bailey said admitted feeling “helpless” in the face of surging inflation. The government has been cold towards a windfall tax. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he was not “naturally attracted” to such a policy though had not taken the option of the table, while Kwasi Kwarteng, the business and energy secretary, is squarely opposed. “There are too many companies, including major supermarkets, at the moment who have no stores in the Republic of Ireland, who are moving their products from their depots in Great Britain into Northern Ireland for sale and consumption in Northern Ireland, but going through checks as if they were going into the EU. “Not because the producers have taken a risk or invested but because of energy markets so it is literally a windfall – so tax that windfall and use the money from that to bring the bills down for struggling households and pensioners.” “So, those products that are being consumed in the UK, used in the UK, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, should not be going through the same checks as products that are moving into the EU, into the single market – that’s pretty much what we have been outlining. Under post-Brexit trade arrangements companies shipping from Britain to Northern Ireland can declare their goods “not at risk” at moving further on to the EU. Such goods are not subject to duties but can still face checks at the border. “We have got to ensure that products moving within the UK can do so freely and ensure that goods that are moving into the EU via Ireland are properly dealt with, but not products that are staying within the UK.” "But the Bank of England is independent, they will have their view of their assessment, their economic view of where things are and where things are going.” The European Union’s desired implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol “breaches” the conditions of the Brexit treaty, according to Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis. “The implementation the EU wants to put in place breaches four of those things straight off the bat, and that is just something that isn’t sustainable.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was booed and jeered by around 200 people who gathered at the gates of Hillsborough Castle as his cavalcade drove in ...

“That’s what we want to do. And that means I want to see the government enacting legislation that will bring the solution that we need. We don’t want to scrap it, but we think it can be fixed.” We would love this to be done in a consensual way with our friends and partners, ironing out the problems, stopping some of these barriers east-west. Ms Villiers added: “This is a really constructive approach. But let’s see what the Government are prepared to do.” When asked whether the tabling of legislation on the protocol was enough to restore the executive, or whether legislation needed to be passed, Sir Jeffrey said: “The tabling of legislation is words. “We’ve waited a long time on this moment. It’s an extraordinary proposal and one that would amplify the bad faith with which the Tory government has conducted itself from beginning of the entire Brexit debacle. The people have spoken. Michelle O’Neill is the first minister in waiting and we want to get on with things and get back to business. We have had the election, the votes have been counted, the die has been cast.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she wanted to change the terms of the EU trade deal but MPs in the Commons told her she risked retaliation from the EU in ...

But the Foreign Secretary will know that it is actions that speak louder than words. I welcome her commitment to such decisive action in this statement.” Our aim is to deliver on the protocol’s objectives.

'He told a lie to the British public. Again he tells allies the UK word cannot be trusted,' Labour MP alleges.

Again he tells allies the UK word cannot be trusted.” Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In a separate interview, Mr Johnson was asked if the crisis and the risk of a trade war with the EU is “a direct consequence of the deal you signed,” replying: “Yes absolutely.”

Alistair Burt tells inquiry he urged then foreign secretary in 2018 to ask Theresa May to authorise payment to release dual nationals.

Hunt in his evidence said it was a real diplomatic failure that a 40-year-old debt had been allowed to fester. He said Johnson’s position had been to accept that advice although he added his views may have evolved. Giving evidence to the same committee, the former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said the British state could not look back on its handling of the case with any pride since it took far too long to secure the dual nationals’ releases.

The row over Northern Ireland risks a deeper decline in UK trade in response to threats of violence from a tiny minority.

Jeremy Hunt said that the length of time it took for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori to be released was a 'terrible injustice'.

“It’s a narrow line and I fully accept that, but there is a line, and the reason there is a line is because there was an element where Britain was in the wrong”, he said. He told the committee that there was a “narrow line” between repaying the debt and paying a ransom. “But I concluded that it wasn’t a ransom payment, it was a debt that we owed. “Nonetheless it was totally outrageous for Iran to be linking a debt that we owed to the fate of innocent individuals.” “Because we all knew that Iran was saying there was a link to the debt.” He defended the Government’s decision to repay a £400m debt to the Iranian state that had been linked to the regime’s decision to refuse to release the hostages.