Britain Contemplate Pulling Brexit Safeguard Measures On EU

October 4, 2021

British Brexit minister David Frost warned the European Union on Monday that London would trigger safeguard measures in their divorce deal if the bloc fails to respond to its demands for changes to the so-called Northern Ireland protocol.

Addressing the governing Conservative Party's conference in the northern English city of Manchester, Frost told a sparsely populated hall: "Without an agreed solution soon, we will need to act, using the Article 16 safeguard mechanism, to address the impact the protocol is having on Northern Ireland."

"That may in the end be the only way to protect our country - our people, our trade, our territorial integrity, the peace process, and the benefits of this great UK of which we are all part."

Analyst View
You would recall that the Northern Ireland Protocol, is a protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement that addresses immigration issues at the border between UK, Northern Island, and European Union. The border has been largely invisible, without any physical barrier or custom checks on its many crossing points. If the UK should pull the trigger on the safeguard, this might restrict the free flow of customs and immigration services and also cause tension between the two countries and the EU.

SOURCE: CNN
IMAGE SOURCE: PIXABAY