The Extension To Nowhere

Additional EU flexibility on Protocol - whether 3 or 6 months - makes it less likely it gets what it wants: full HMG compliance with the treaty it signed. It postpones escalation. But it will make it more, not less, difficult to put the relationship back onto the right track 1/

— Mujtaba Rahman (@Mij_Europe) June 23, 2021

Victory?

Outgoing DUP leader @EdwinPootsMLA says he has received a personal assurance from the UK Government that significant changes will be made to the Northern Ireland Protocol

Poots, told BBC NI that there would be a “significant victory” on the protocol in July

— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenGBNews) June 22, 2021

Staggering Towards Divorce

NEW: The EU will take a measured response to any further unilateral moves by the UK to delay implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, with senior officials signalling a staggered approach to legal action and arbitration, @rtenews understands.

— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) June 11, 2021

 

A staggered approach will slow down the inevitable divorce.

The End of The Protocol is Approaching

"The EU should have enough self-awareness to understand that the deal it obtained was too good to be true" -- really do recommend this tub-thumper from @AllisterHeath in @Telegraph

It'll drive some mad, but I'd bet majority in UK feel this way. https://t.co/SbGsOrA95f pic.twitter.com/v3tNtL6nmD

— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) June 10, 2021

 

It is clear that the end of the Northern Irish Protocol is approaching, helped along by the intervention of Biden who ordered his ambassador in London to issue a Demarche against the UK for allegedly "inflaming tensions".

Once the UK abandons the protocol, the EU will place tariffs and sanctions on various British products; and thus the UK will end up having a "hard Brexit".

Pushback From The EU Over Irish Border Checks Story

 

Have got some strong pushback from EU sources to Politico story that EU diplomats mulling emergency plan to introduce border checks between Ireland and rest of EU if London and Brussels talks over Northern Ireland Protocol ultimately fail. 1/https://t.co/GFpvPbUFa5

— James Crisp (@JamesCrisp6) June 9, 2021

Sausage War