Brexit: John Major says triggering Article 16 would be 'absurd'

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major has said that triggering Article 16 and suspending parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol would be "colossally stupid".

He added that to suspend parts of the protocol "would be absurd".

The protocol is the special Brexit deal agreed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

It keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and allows free-flowing trade with the EU.

But it also creates a trade border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The EU has proposed measures to ease the checks and controls for goods crossing the Irish Sea.

But the UK is demanding fundamental reform and there is growing speculation it will trigger Article 16 - which allows parts of the protocol to be unilaterally suspended if they are causing serious difficulties - in the coming weeks.

Sir John told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that if the government did this, "it would be seen as very bad faith indeed, it would be seen as irresponsible".

"It would add to destabilisation in Northern Ireland, it would seriously damage relationships across the whole of Ireland north and south and the UK, it would erode relationships between Europe and the UK, it would damage relationships between Washington and London," he said.

He said the UK was negotiating over the protocol "with all the subtlety of a brick".

He added that triggering Article 16 would be a "difficult and dangerous road to go down" and the government would "come to regret it".

"It is not just a question of trade difficulties, it could, we have seen what has happened in Northern Ireland before, it could become much worse, they should be very, very careful about this."

In a statement, the UK government said that it had been "consistently clear" that it would prefer to "settle the issues arising from the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol consensually and reach a positive outcome through negotiations".

However, it said it was its responsibility "to safeguard peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland, and we will use Article 16 if necessary".

"The fundamental aim of the Protocol is to support the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement," it added.

"The Article 16 safeguards within it are provided to deal with the situation if the protocol ceases to support the BGFA (Belfast/Good Friday Agreement). The UK Government will always act with that in mind."

Sir John said he suspected Article 16 would be triggered after the United Nations Cop26 climate summit being hosted by the UK in Glasgow has concluded.

He said critics might brand him a "bitter old Remoaner", but although he was a Remainer, he was not bitter, but "disappointed and angry at the way the government has behaved".

Separately, Sir John criticised the government's handling of former Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson's case as shameful and wrong.

He said the actions of Boris Johnson's government had trashed Parliament's reputation at home and abroad, and were "un-Conservative".

This week, the government tried to block the suspension of Mr Paterson, who had broken lobbying rules - but then reversed its decision.

The government has apologised.

Mr Major's comments about the protocol follow a meeting on Friday between European Commission (EC) Vice-President Maros Sefcovic and UK Brexit minister Lord Frost in Brussels over the protocol dispute.

Mr Sefcovic has warned there will be "serious consequences" if the UK triggers Article 16.

Before the meeting, Lord Frost had warned time was running out on the talks.

He had said the UK was not going to trigger Article 16 on Friday, although this was "very much on the table and has been since July".

Lord Frost added that if the gap narrowed, the commission listened to what was said in the UK command paper and looked at the situation in Northern Ireland, that could help move things forward.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he expected to see decisive action on the protocol before the end of November.

Sir Jeffrey, whose party opposes the protocol, has said he would meet Lord Frost next week to discuss the issue.