David Lammy on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

David Lammy MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, commenting ahead of the publication of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, said:

“Today’s Protocol legislation is desperate attempt by Boris Johnson to distract from the drama of his leadership crisis. It risks creating new trade barriers in a cost of living crisis and will only bring more uncertainty for the people of Northern Ireland who are trying to make the Protocol work. 

"Britain should be a country that keeps its word. By tearing up the Protocol it negotiated just a couple of years ago, the Government will damage Britain’s reputation and make finding a lasting solution more difficult.

"The EU must show more flexibility as Labour has said from the start. But this legislation is not the way to unlock progress. 

“The Government must now publish its legal advice in full and start acting responsibly to protect the Good Friday Agreement to support peace and prosperity.”