Northern Ireland controversy: US threatens Liz Truss to take over as British prime minister

dispute over northern ireland
USA threatens Liz Truss to start work immediately

09/09/2022, 09:48 (Updated)

Liz Truss has only been in office for a few hours when the new British prime minister faces a headwind from her transatlantic partner: the USA has warned Truss against implementing one of his great political visions.

The United States has warned new British Prime Minister Liz Truss against unilateral changes to the Brexit treaty with the European Union. US government press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said any attempt to undermine the Northern Ireland Agreement would negatively impact negotiations on a trade deal between the UK and the US. As Secretary of State, Truss proceeded with a law intended to overturn the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol.

The British government negotiated the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of its exit from the European Union. It provides for special customs rules for Northern Ireland to keep the sensitive border between the British Province of Ireland and the EU State of Ireland open – as well as to prevent a re-flagration of the Northern Ireland conflict. However, the agreement created a de facto customs boundary in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of Britain. This, among other things, led to distribution problems and also caused great resentment in Great Britain.

The law amending the Northern Ireland Protocol cleared the first parliamentary hurdle with a vote in the House of Commons in late June. In addition to tax changes and a labeling system for goods, it also stipulates that the European Court of Justice should no longer be responsible for disputes related to the implementation of Brexit. The EU strongly criticizes the project and threatens to go to the European Court of Justice.

Truss had pushed for the resolution of the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol in a telephone call to Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday evening. US President Joe Biden insisted in a telephone call to Truss on Tuesday that peace should be maintained in Northern Ireland and negotiations should be held with the European Union, according to the presidential office.

(This article was first published on Thursday, September 08, 2022.)