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The government was defeated in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening over rules to prevent deals with countries that commit genocide or human rights abuses.Peers, including 40 Tory rebels, forced two amendments on the government’s trade bill that would tie the hands of ministers when negotiating new agreement.One successful motion, proposed by Labour, requires the government to check whether parties to any proposed trade deals have committed crimes against humanity, among other safeguards.But peers also backed a stronger motion from crossbencher Lord Alton that would leave the decision on whether a country had committed genocide to the High Court.The defeat comes after Boris Johnson narrowly avoided a defeat in the Commons on a similar amendment, despite misgivings of senior Tories.The bill is currently in a state of “ping pong” between the Lords and the Commons, during which is it being sent back and forth between the two houses of parliament. Proposing the successful amendment, Lord Alton said: “This all-party amendment is a modest attempt to break the cycle of hatred and violence which would otherwise lead to more suffering by innocent human beings.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayLabour frontbencher Lord Collins of Highbury added: “We are in a new era where we have a responsibilities to start negotiating trade agreements outside the EU. We have to ensure that with that responsibility we take cognisance of all our responsibilities to human rights.”Peers backed the crossbench amendment by 359 votes to 188, a majority 171, with 40 Conservative rebels. The Labour motion was supported by 16 Tory rebels and passed by 327 votes to 229, a majority 98.Tory former minister Lord Blencathra said: “The evil of genocide must take precedence over free trade. This is a moral issue.”We are the country which led the way on the abolition of slavery. We should now lead the way in making a very firm statement that we will not tolerate genocide nor seek to profit from it. More

Controls are being stepped up in parts of the UK hit by new strains of Covid-19, as scientists warned Britain risks becoming a “melting pot” for mutations believed to strengthen the virus’s resistance to vaccines.The cases in Liverpool and the Bristol area were made public as door-to-door testing began in eight other postcode areas to stem the spread of the South African coronavirus variant.Eleven cases in and around Bristol have been identified as the variant that originally emerged in Kent, with the addition of the E484K mutation found in the South African strain. And a cluster of 32 cases in Liverpool showed the same mutation but relate to the original strain of coronavirus which arrived in the UK around a year ago.Virologist Julian Tang, of the University of Leicester, said E484K was thought to be “the main mutation impacting on vaccine efficacy”, adding that its emergence in different strains of the disease was “worrying”. Failure to control the circulation of the virus could lead to the UK becoming a “melting pot” for new mutations, he warned.Health secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that the government was in touch with pharmaceutical companies to discuss whether tweaks were needed to vaccines to make them more effective against the new strains.“We’re working with pharmaceutical companies and with the scientists to understand both whether the such modifications are needed, where they are needed, and how they can be brought to use on the front line as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.“This is obviously a very important consideration given the new variants that we’ve seen.”
Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayMr Hancock told MPs that he was confident that any modified jabs needed on a large scale would be available “more quickly than the original vaccines”.Public Health England said it was monitoring the situation “closely”. A spokesperson said: “All necessary public health interventions are being undertaken, including enhanced contact tracing and control measures.”The development came as:  – Mr Hancock confirmed that 110 of the 10,307 care homes in England have not yet been offered vaccines, because outbreaks within the homes prevent inoculations.- A new study showed the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine offers 76 per cent protection up to 12 weeks after a single dose and may reduce transmission by 67 per cent.- Interim trial results suggested Russia’s Covid vaccine is 91.6% effective against symptomatic coronavirus.– Latest figures showed 350,348 first jabs over 24 hours in the UK, bringing the national total to 9,646,715, with an additional 496,796 second doses administered.The E484K mutation has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.However, public health experts believe current vaccines will still be effective at a lower level against strains with the mutation and are good at preventing severe disease.Regional PHE officials said the mutation was detected last month among staff at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, with an initial cluster of five detected on 10 January among individuals who attended an event outside the hospital, believed to be a funeral.Bristol’s director of public health said 11 cases of the mutated Kent variant had been identified in the city and further investigations were under way to understand if this form of the virus had spread further in the area.Mr Hancock told MPs that the aim of community testing for the South African variant – currently targeting around 80,000 people in eight postcode areas – is to “stop its spread altogether”.But he was unable to name a date for the introduction of mandatory quarantine hotels for travellers arriving from South Africa and other countries linked to concerning new strains.“As with the variant first identified here in the UK, there is currently no evidence to suggest it is any more severe but we have to come down on it hard,” said the health secretary.“Our mission must be to stop its spread altogether and break those chains of transmission.”Clinical trials for two coronavirus vaccines – Novavax and Johnson & Johnson – have shown the jabs offer some protection against variants with the E484K mutation.However, they are less effective than against the variant that has been around since the start of the pandemic.Laboratory studies also suggest vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech could work against variants, while variant checks against the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine are ongoing.Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, warned that it would not be possible to completely prevent the arrival of new variants without a total shutdown of borders.“New strains will emerge and they’ll emerge in many different countries in the world at different times, and you won’t notice that they are spreading until such time as they are quite widespread,” he told Sky News.“Yes, you can think about completely shutting the borders or having quarantine, [but] what’s the endgame in that? Is that something that you’re going to do forever? We need some sort of sustainable strategy, and I think that’s very difficult for politicians to think about.” More

Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will introduce a “managed quarantine” system for anyone arriving in Scotland, describing the current UK-wide restrictions as “too reactive”.Last week, Boris Johnson resisted calls for blanket border measures, as he unveiled a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine policy for those arriving in the UK from 33 countries designated “high-risk” by the government.She said: “The firm view of the Scottish Government is that in order to minimise the risk of new strains coming into the country, managed quarantine must be much more comprehensive.”I can therefore confirm today that we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from.”The first minister also said that she could not “unilaterally” impose such restrictions on people landing elsewhere in the UK and travelling to Scotland, but hoped the other administrations would work with the Scottish Government to reduce the number of people doing so.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday More

The proposed head of the watchdog for universities – who was Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign manager – says he plans to keep the Tory whip in the House of Lords.
James Wharton faced tough questions from MPs about his “independence” if he is confirmed as the new chair of the Office for Students (OfS), after a protest that the appointment panel was rigged.The former MP for Stockton South, who was handed a peerage by the prime minister last August, admitted he had no direct experience in higher education – which was “hopefully a good thing”.
And, asked if he would relinquish his party allegiance in the Lords, he insisted he could negotiate a deal with Tory whips to speak out when necessary.
“They will give me more latitude and understand that I may need to vote against, or speak against, some of the things the party in government could bring forward,” Lord Wharton told the Commons education committee.
He argued the Lords was a more “independent” chamber than the Commons, telling the MPs: “I don’t think that is going to be a problem.”
And, on his role as Mr Johnson’s campaign chief in 2017, Lord Wharton insisted: “I don’t see how that brings me into conflict.”
Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayThe OfS is the regulator of higher education in England – to “make sure that students succeed” – and describes its role as championing equality and diversity.
Last November, the commissioner for public appointments, Peter Riddell, attacked the government “packing” of the five-strong recruitment panel for the role with the aim to “appoint their allies”.It included one Tory peer, one former Tory MP, another former Tory candidate and Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s former chief-of-staff.
The government was once criticised for spending £40,000 of taxpayers’ money trying to disguise how little Mr Wharton had visited the north of England in his role as so-called ‘Northern Powerhouse’ minister.Under questioning, Lord Wharton struggled to give an example of how he might criticise policy, but pledged to be “independent and vocal”, adding: “If that brings me into conflict with the government, so be it.”During the evidence session, the peer:
* Rejected the Labour target for 50 per cent of young people to go into higher education – which the government has already dumped – as “arbitrary and blunt”.
* Criticised the “horrific conditions” some overseas students are currently living in – saying “some have been let down”.
* Declined to back the National Union of Students ‘Students Deserve Better’ campaign – but said he had a “full regard for the role they play”.
* Attacked universities which have criticised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as unsuitable for higher education – saying: “I don’t understand why any university has not adopted it.” More

The fallout over Brexit in Northern Ireland took a dark turn on Monday when port workers were removed from duty due to concerns about their safety.Staff conducting physical checks on animal products entering facilities in Belfast and Larne were withdrawn because of “an upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks”.
NI’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs subsequently confirmed that checks on animal products will be postponed until a full risk assessment is carried out by the police. The EU has since told its port staff not to go to work.And Alan McQuillan, a former assistant chief constable in NI, warned that loyalist paramilitaries in the areas present a “real and significant threat”.  But why are checks carried out in NI, why are loyalists, or unionists, unhappy about the rules and what would they like to see instead?‘Targets’Graffiti has appeared at NI ports in recent weeks opposing the Irish Sea border, referring to employees who work there as “targets” and it being “time for war”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdaySome workers have also reported suspicious activity including people taking down personal information such as car number plates.
It is not immediately clear who exactly is behind this activity, but last week police in NI said they were monitoring “stress” and “growing discontent” within the unionist/loyalist communities over the Irish Sea border.
What is the Irish Sea border?As part of the Brexit deal, both sides agreed to a mechanism called the Northern Ireland protocol, which allowed NI to stay in the EU’s single market as well as the UK’s customs territory.
This meant that goods could continue to flow freely between the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and NI without the need for phyiscal checks – or a “hard” border on the island of Ireland, in a move aimed at stopping a return to the “Troubles”.But because the UK and EU now follow different customs rules, checks are still needed on some products entering NI from the UK.
As a solution,  prime minister Boris Johnson’s government installed border posts at NI’s ports, effectively creating an “Irish Sea border”.Unionist/loyalist discontentSome unionists believe the NI protocol breaches the Good Friday Agreement and poses an existential threat to NI’s constitutional status within the UK.  They say the Brexit deal has cut NI adrift from the rest of the UK, pushing Belfast further away from London and closer towards Dublin, paving the way for an “economic united Ireland”.  There has been some disruption at NI ports due to increased paperwork and bureaucracy.As a result of this, a number of supermarkets have reported declining stocks of some products, while other firms have stopped trading with NI altogether.This had led the Democratic Unionist Party, NI’s largest party, to call on the UK government to invoke Article 16 of the Brexit deal, a mechanism that would remove the NI protocol.The DUP voted for Brexit but opposed the Withdrawal Agreement, which set out the terms of the protocol.Earlier this month, senior DUP MP Ian Paisley claimed the sea border was an “unmitigated disaster” and urged the UK government to invoke Article 16.No clear alternativeBut it remains unclear what the DUP wants to see replace the Irish Sea border.Seamus Leheny, a policy manager at Logistics UK, which represents freight operators, said at the beginning of January that those calling for Article 16 to be revoked need to propose a “realistic alternative”.
He said: “You can’t just walk away from this. I think to invoke Article 16 you’d create more problems compared to what we’re facing today.”
The government has repeatedly insisted that the problems at ports in NI and elsewhere are temporary.
Mr Johnson has said he will have “no hesitation” in triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol if “disproportionate” problems arise as a result of the legislation.But he did not set out what would replace the agreement in the event that Article 16 is revoked. More

Nicola Sturgeon gives update on coronavirus measuresPoliticians from across the spectrum in Northern Ireland have urged for calm after staff at ports in Belfast and Larne were threatened and physical post-Brexit checks of animal-based food products were suspended.The security concerns have led to Brussels officials being temporarily withdrawn from duties at the two ports as European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said staff safety was “as high a preoccupation as that of any other person working in Northern Ireland on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement”.Police will hold talks later today with their partner agencies over the matter, a spokesperson for Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said: “The situation will be kept under review and in the meantime full documentary checks will continue to be carried out as usual.”Meanwhile, British shellfish companies have said they fear a post-Brexit ban on unprocessed oysters, cockles and scallops from many UK waters to EU markets could be a potentially fatal blow to their businesses.Brussels informed the industry that UK fishermen will no longer be allowed to send bivalves and molluscs unless they have undergone purification to be made fit for human consumption, or have come from the cleanest “class A” waters.The Shellfish Association of Great Britain said class A exports were “not in doubt”, but there was “severe uncertainty” over the future of exports from class B waters.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update
1612277063Scotland to introduce ‘managed quarantine’ system for all travellers, Sturgeon announcesNicola Sturgeon has announced she will introduce a “managed quarantine” system for anyone arriving in Scotland, describing the current UK-wide restrictions as “too reactive”.Political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports:Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 14:441612276089Former Tory MP picked to lead universities’ watchdog will keep party whip in House of LordsThe proposed head of the watchdog for universities – who was Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign manager – says he plans to keep the Tory whip in the House of Lords, deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports.James Wharton faced tough questions from MPs about his “independence” if he is confirmed as the new chair of the Office for Students (OfS), after a protest that the appointment panel was rigged.Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 14:281612274320Government working with Northern Ireland police to ‘better understand’ port situationThe UK government is working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to “better understand” the situation at Larne and Belfast, Downing Street said.Inspections at Larne and Belfast ports were suspended yesterday after sinister graffiti and reports of intelligence-gathering on inspectors.”We will continue to work with PSNI. The safety of staff is our absolute priority,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.”Full documentation checks continue to take place and checks on live animals continue to take place.”Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 13:581612273592Gove casts doubt on sincerity of ‘professions of care and concern’ displayed by some EU figuresMichael Gove cast doubt on the sincerity of the “professions of care and concern” displayed by some EU figures toward Northern Ireland and criticised their lack of understanding.Conservative former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith had said there is a “track record of a lack of understanding” by the EU of the sensitivities in Northern Ireland before urging Mr Gove to find out what the EU needs in return from the UK to “resolve these issues long-term”.Mr Gove replied in the Commons: “For people in Northern Ireland, they will have heard during the whole Brexit process professions of care and concern from EU politicians about Northern Ireland – some of those were sincere, but the way in which the commission has behaved in the course of the last week is of deep concern.”I absolutely exempt vice-president Maros Sefcovic from this, he completely understands the need to make sure we have a pragmatic resolution to this problem.”But not every European politician understands the situation in Northern Ireland anything like as well as (Mr Smith), and we do need to make sure we have a resolution that recognises Northern Ireland’s integral place in the UK while also ensuring that we have the best possible relationship with all our neighbours.”Mr Gove later said there is “no need at all” for the level of physical inspections being carried out by some on food products linked to Northern Ireland.Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 13:461612272380Northern Ireland Protocol a ‘terrible disaster’ and issues are ‘not teething problems’, former Tory leader saysThe Northern Ireland Protocol is a “terrible disaster” and issues are “not teething problems,” former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said.He told the Commons: “The reality, though, is that the Protocol is simply not working, these are not teething problems.”He mentioned Article 16 but Article 16 is very clear. It says it can be invoked under economic, societal or environmental problems leading to, for example, a diversion of trade.”We’ve already seen companies that normally ship to Northern Ireland now saying publicly they won’t bother any more because it’s too difficult.”We are seeing also diversion where some of the supermarkets and others are talking about depots now in southern Ireland rather than in mainland GB.”I ask my right honourable friend, therefore, for all the talks about teething problems, in the short-term what would he do to rectify this terrible disaster?”Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 13:261612271447Michael Gove calls for Brexit border grace periods extensionWhile answering questions from MPs in the Commons on the Northern Ireland protocol and threats against port staff, the Cabinet Office minister called for the extension of post-Brexit grace periods. “We do need to make sure that grace periods are extended, we do need to make sure that supermarkets can continue to supply consumers with goods that they need,” he said in reply to Iain Duncan Smith. There are several grace periods covering transport of goods across the Irish sea border, Mr Gove did not specify, though he could be referring to all of them.”There are a number of very specific issues adn tehy extend from … pet transport to the provision of plants and seeds to gardens in Northern Ireland.”The daily lives of our fellow citizens need to be protected, we must deal with all of these questions.”Liam James2 February 2021 13:101612270265EU officials withdrawn from Northern Ireland ports following loyalist threatsOur Deputy Political editor Rob Merrick is following the news as it breaks after Brussels announced EU officials were to be withdrawn from Northern Ireland ports following threats from loyalists :Liam James2 February 2021 12:511612269309Northern Ireland minister speaks out after party offices vandalisedNaomi Long, leader of Northern Ireland’s Alliance party and Stormont’s justice minister, has condemned what she called a “campaign of intimidation” against MPs from her party.The constituency offices of Alliance MPs Stephen Farry and Kellie Armstrong were graffitied, the former with the message “RIP [Good Friday Agreement]”.Earlier, Sinn Fein MLA Linda Dillon condemned the threats and urged those speaking to “watch their tone”.”We need to have cool heads, we need to temper our language, we need to know that the tone that we set in this place is what will happen outside, and for us not to take full responsibility for that is disingenuous,” she said.Liam James2 February 2021 12:351612267613Brussels officials withdraw from Northern Ireland portsBrussels officials are being temporarily withdrawn from duties at the Belfast and Larne ports.European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said: “Obviously the security of our staff in Northern Ireland is as high a preoccupation as that of any other person working in Northern Ireland on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.”We have asked them not to attend their duties today and we will continue to monitor the situation and adapt accordingly.”It comes as senior figures from Brussels, Westminster and Stormont will discuss the situation tomorrow, the European Commission said.UK Cabinet minister Michael Gove, Northern Ireland’s first minister, Arlene Foster, and deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, and European Commission vice-president, Maros Sefcovic, will take part in a video conference.Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters: “We condemn very strongly any threats of violence against port officials or anybody else in Northern Ireland who are simply exercising their duties and implementing the Withdrawal Agreement. That must be absolutely clear. “Therefore, in such circumstances, we understand indeed that decisions have been taken by the Northern Irish authorities to temporarily suspend a number of checks that are foreseen for the transfer of goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. “It is obvious for us that the first and utmost priority is the safety of people.”Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 12:061612266771Brexit shuts market for English mini barrels of cheeseAn English company that has long sold its wax-coated mini barrels of cheese directly to European customers has said it can no longer do so because of Brexit.Last year The Cheshire Cheese company sold £180,000 worth of artisan truckles — the traditional name for cheese shaped like a barrel — to European Union customers, but the company’s managing director, Simon Spurrell, says that is no longer possible.”That’s completely gone. At the moment we’ve had to just switch that light out,” said Mr Spurrell.London and Brussels agreed a last-minute trade deal last December which averted border tariffs, but many companies, particularly smaller ones, have warned that the deal has thrown up new obstacles to trade that are killing business.Mr Spurrell can no longer sell cheese gift boxes worth around £25 to the EU through his online shop because each consignment needs to be accompanied by a health certificate signed off by a vet that costs £180 per consignment, regardless of size.The company has therefore put on hold plans for a £1m new distribution centre in Macclesfield, northern England, and is instead considering setting up its own hub in France, where it can still ship on a wholesale basis.Samuel Osborne2 February 2021 11:52 More

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested that the UK won a head start in its Covid-19 vaccination programme by compromising on “safety and efficacy”.Her comments came as French health minister Clement Beaune claimed the UK was “taking many risks” with its vaccination campaign, which has got first doses to some 9.3m people in just over a month – almost one in seven of the entire population.Both Ms von der Leyen and the administration of French president Emmanuel Macron are coming under intense pressure over the relatively slow progress of programmes on the continent, where little more than 2 per cent of the population have so far received protection.Speaking to French newspaper Le Monde, the Commission president defended the EU’s decision to authorise potential vaccines centrally through the European Medicines Agency.While the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was able to give the green light to vaccines from BioNTechPfizer/BioNTech on 2 December and Oxford/AstraZeneca on 30 December through temporary emergency approval of specific batches, the EMA was barred from taking this fast-track approach. Its approval for the Pfizer jab did not come until 21 December and AstraZeneca did not get clearance for use in the 27 member states until last Friday.Asked about the UK’s ability to move more quickly, Ms von der Leyen told Le Monde: “Some countries started to vaccinate a little before Europe, it is true. But they resorted to emergency, 24-hour marketing authorisation procedures.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“The Commission and the member states agreed not to compromise with the safety and efficacy requirements linked to the authorisation of a vaccine. Time had to be taken to analyse the data, which, even minimised, takes three to four weeks.“So, yes, Europe left it later, but it was the right decision. I remind you that a vaccine is the injection of an active biological substance into a healthy body. We are talking about mass vaccination here, it is a gigantic responsibility.”Her comments came after Mr Beaune said on Monday: “The British are in an extremely difficult health situation. They are taking many risks in this vaccination campaign. And I can understand it, but they are taking many risks.”Ms von der Leyen’s predecessor as Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, went public on Monday with criticisms of Brussels’ handling of vaccine procurement and approval.”I believe it all went too slow, it hasn’t all been done with the maximum transparency, even though that would have been a difficult task,” Mr Juncker told a virtual event in Germany.He was also critical of Commission attempts last week to prevent the export of vaccines out of the EU.”At the beginning of the pandemic crisis, some countries made the incomprehensible decision to not export medical material,” said Mr Juncker. “This was corrected by the European Commission. Now we are back in a debate where again the suggestion is being made that nothing should be exported from the European Union to other non-EU countries.”We are … not just responsible for ourselves. This is a pandemic that affects everyone on this planet. I am very much opposed to the European Union now giving the impression that we are taking care of ourselves and that the suffering of other people, especially in poorer countries and on poorer continents, does not affect us.”Prime minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman rejected suggestions that the UK had compromised safety or taken risks with vaccines.He pointed to the assessments announced by MHRA chief executive DrJune Raine in the case of the approvals granted to each of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines.“June Raine … was very clear that no corners were cut and no stones were left unturned, and that their recommendation was based on an extremely thorough evaluation of all the data from the clinical trials,” said the PM’s spokesman.“The PM’s view is that the public should remain confident in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccinations.”As he said yesterday, if people are asked to come forward to take the vaccine, they should do so confident in the knowledge that they are both safe and effective.” More

EU officials are being withdrawn from ports in Northern Ireland following threats to staff from loyalists, in a further blow to the Brexit deal.Brussels said it was adopting the stance taken by local councils, warning: “We have asked them not to attend their duties today and we will continue to monitor the situation.”UK food inspections were suddenly suspended at Belfast and Larne ports following an “upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks”.
Graffiti has appeared attacking the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol – which has created a customs border in the Irish Sea – and describing port staff as “targets”.
The European Commission’s spokesperson, said: “The security of our staff in Northern Ireland is as high a preoccupation as that of any other person working in Northern Ireland on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement.”In the Commons, Michael Gove blamed the EU for planning to trigger Article 16 to suspend part of the Northern Ireland Protocol, telling MPs: “Trust has been eroded.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayAnd he criticised British businesses warning the mountain of new red tape and extra costs created by Brexit could force them to pull out of supplying Northern Ireland altogether.
“They have an obligation to ensure that their goods are available for the citizens in Northern Ireland,” the Cabinet Office minister claimed.
But Simon Hoare, the Conservative chair of the Commons Northern Ireland Committee, warned the window for resolving the huge trade problems in the Irish Sea was “small and shrinking”.
Haulage firms have hiked prices by 12 per cent this week and hospitals, schools and prisons have warned of looming problems obtaining food supplies.  And there are growing fears that the situation will worsen when ‘grace periods’ to limit supermarkets’ paperwork and to allow processed foods end, in April and July respectively.
Stephen Farry, an Alliance MP, revealed his constituency office had been vandalised overnight, urging people “to dial down the rhetoric”.
The graffiti reads ‘RIP GFA’ – referring to the landmark Good Friday Agreement, which formally ended decades of bloodshed in Ireland, in 1998.Mr Gove revealed the UK wanted those grace periods extended – despite Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, saying no decision had been taken.
He set the scene for possible future conflict with Brussels by suggesting “revisiting the operation of aspects of the Protocol”, part of the 2019 withdrawal deal.
And he said Boris Johnson had been “absolutely right to say that Article 16 can be invoked”, providing that was as “an emergency port of call”.Some Tory backbenchers are pressing for the Protocol to be ripped up, former party leader Iain Duncan Smith branding it a “terrible disaster”.
“The reality, though, is that the Protocol is simply not working, these are not teething problems,” he told the Commons. More