Brexit trade deal could be suspended if Boris Johnson triggers Article 16, Ireland warns

The EU could plunge Britain into a no-deal Brexit if Boris Johnson ditches his agreement on Northern Ireland, the Irish government has warned.

Speaking on Sunday, foreign minister Simon Coveney said that any move to trigger Article 16 and suspend the protocol would have “serious” consequences. Mr Coveney said continuation of the free trade agreement between the UK and EU was “contingent on” the Northern Ireland deal continuing to operate.

Suspending the free trade agreement would see British businesses hit with new tariffs and even worse terms than they enjoy now outside the single market.

“I believe that if the British government essentially refuses to implement the protocol, even with the extraordinary flexibilities that are now on offer, and instead looks to set it aside then I think the EU will respond in a very serious way to that,” Mr Coveney told broadcaster RTE.