Brexit Britain ‘should ignore EU threats’ over Northern Ireland Protocol

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Maros Sefcovic, Vice President of the European Commission, has warned the UK Government against plans to scrap parts of the Brexit deal. He said the UK should be “prepared for the worst” as the EU seeks to take legal action against alterations to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Earlier this week Foreign Secretary Liz Truss proposed alterations to the protocol to ease the trading of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. The passing of this new legislation would allow the restoration of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

The EU claims that overriding the Brexit deal to simplify trade is a violation of international law.

Mr Sefcovic told Sky News journalist Beth Rigby: “We will be permanently pointing towards the huge advantages of our approach over unilateral proposals that came from the UK.”

Yet he insisted that the approach taken by the EU was the correct decision and that the trade checks held “huge advantages”.

He added: “We really have the interests of the people in Northern Ireland in our heart. 

“We absolutely want to make sure that they would benefit from the access to the single market, from having the possibility to export to 500 million people.”

Mr Sefcovic said the EU were open to negotiations and were “ready to work with the UK Government and with all political leaders in Northern Ireland”.

In a set of polls that ran from 1pm on Friday, June 17, to 1pm on Sunday, June 19, Express.co.uk asked readers whether they were worried about the EU’s legal retaliation over the Northern Ireland Protocol and if they thought the EU would exist in 20 years’ time.

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First Express.co.uk asked: “Should UK be worried about EU legal retaliation over Northern Ireland Protocol row?”

Overall, 2,612 people cast their votes with a strong majority, 89 percent (2,323 people), answering “no”, they were not worried about the EU’s legal retaliation.

A further 11 percent (277 people) said “yes”, they were worried while just 12 people said they did not know either way.

Despite the push to finalise Brexit by resolving the Northern Ireland Protocol row, the former conservative chancellor claimed that the UK will be back in the EU within the next 20 years. 

However, political commentator Benjamin Loughnane challenged this, telling TalkTV: “Yeah, well I mean George Osborne says we’ll be back in 20 years.

“That is if the EU even exists in 20 years, I don’t think it will, certainly not in the form that it currently exists.

“Because if it does then that will be a shocking lack of growth, for an organisation which desperately needs to reform itself or go bust effectively.”

As a result, Express.co.uk asked: “Do you think the EU will exist in 20 years’ time?”

In total, 2,556 people responded to this question with the dominant response, 80 percent (2,053 people), being “no”, the EU will not exist in 20 years’ time.

Meanwhile, 13 percent (318 people) answered “yes”, it will exist and seven percent (185 people) said they did not know.

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Hundreds of comments were left below the accompanying article as readers shared their thoughts in a lively debate.

One reader, username Sean said: “We`ve got to do whatever it takes to protect the integrity of the UK.”

Username Oldreo said: “The EU is simply encouraging the Rejoiner movement by being as disruptive as possible.”

Another, username IndianaFlynn, wrote: “We shouldn’t be worried in the slightest as it’s not a threat”

Likewise, username ducs said: “We are independent and should ignore EU threats.”

On the future of the EU, many readers agreed that its current form was unsustainable.

Username Britishguy71 wrote: “The EU won’t be around in 5 years the way it is going on.”

And username Islands said: “The EU has more countries taking money out than there are to put money in. The EU, in its current form, is unsustainable. However, if it reformed itself into a free trade area only…there is no reason why it shouldn’t persist indefinitely.”

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