Liz Truss plans to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol have been rejected by the EU ambassador to the UK, who has said “we can’t renegotiate” the deal.
On Tuesday Ms Truss announced plans to introduce new legislation which would allow ministers to change parts of the protocol, such as removing the need for checks on goods going between Britain and Northern Ireland.
However, Vale de Almeida has insisted there is no prospect of a change in the negotiating mandate.
He said: “We were told that we should get a new mandate. Well, I can tell you very clearly, what the member states are telling us is very simple: you don’t need a mandate, and even if you ask for one, you will not get it.
“We can’t renegotiate the protocol: the ink on the signatures is hardly dry.”
