As the Conservative Party searches for a new leader following Boris Johnson’s resignation, one issue above all that will be left unresolved is the Northern Ireland protocol.
More than six years since the referendum and two and a half years since the UK left the European Union, the issue remains one of the main items of unfinished business left over from the Johnson government.
As Mr Johnson’s Bill to rip up parts of the protocol, which he signed himself as part of the Brexit deal, makes its way through parliament, join our expert panel to ask the question – will the UK and EU ever come to a deal? And will a new prime minister taking on the biggest job in the country be able to solve the problem?
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which plans to unilaterally scrap GB-NI border checks, will receive scrutiny in the coming weeks, after MPs voted to give it a second reading. It is expected to reach the House of Lords before October, according to Baroness Smith.
Labour’s House of Lords leader said anger is building at the Bill, and accused the Government of “taking its eye off the ball” over Northern Ireland.
Some have contended that the Bill breaks international law by seeking to override sections of the protocol.
The move has sparked a fierce backlash from the bloc, with fresh legal action launched against Britain.
Will a new prime minister succeed in going back on Boris Johnson’s deal? What does this mean for the Good Friday Agreement? How will the bill affect the stability of Northern Ireland if it goes through, as Mr Johnson said at the G7 Summit, he hoped by the end of the year?
Join host The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul and a panel of experts including Dr Ronan Cormacain, Senior Research Fellow at The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, and more to be announced, on Wednesday 27 July for our next virtual event at 6.30pm.
For more information and to get your free ticket, visit our Eventbrite page.
