NI Protocol: Sir Keir Starmer calls for flexibility and good faith

Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Kyle (left) visited the Guinness brewery in Dublin

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the challenges posed by the NI Protocol can be overcome with flexibility, good faith and trust.

The UK opposition leader is in Dublin for a series of meetings before travelling to Northern Ireland.

The Brexit-related protocol creates a trade border in the Irish Sea.

Unionist parties oppose it and say it diminishes their Britishness. The DUP is refusing to operate Stormont until its concerns are dealt with.

The government has indicated that it will introduce legislation to disapply part of the international treaty it signed.

• What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

• Brexit and Northern Ireland: What does each side want?

• Fact-checking claims about Brexit and Northern Ireland

Speaking in Dublin, Sir Keir said Labour believed in abiding by international rules.

"Of course there are challenges with the protocol, but I think that we've faced much greater challenges than that in our shared history," he said.

"I think with flexibility on both sides, with good faith, statecraft and trust around the negotiating table, we can deal with the remaining issues

"My concern is that we have a prime minister who doesn't have those attributes. Trust is very important in all of this."

He accused Mr Johnson of being distracted over "saving his own skin".

The Labour leader met Irish President Michael D Higgins during his visit

Earlier this week Mr Johnson survived a Conservative Party vote of no confidence in his leadership, but over 40% of his MPs voted against him.

Sir Keir said he was in Dublin "to assure everybody I speak to of our renewed commitment to the Good Friday Agreement which is as relevant today as it was the day it was signed".

He said he was doing so "against a backdrop of a government that is led by Boris Johnson and is divided and is frankly taking a wrecking ball to relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom".

What is the protocol?

The trade deal - the NI Protocol - governs how goods enter Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and was agreed by the UK government and the European Union following the Brexit vote in 2019.

It was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland when the UK left the European Union.

However, it led to new goods checks at Northern Ireland sea ports on some products from Great Britain, effectively creating a new trade border in the Irish Sea.

Unionist parties, including the DUP, argue that this has led to extra costs and unnecessary delays, as well as undermining the union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

A row over its impact has created a block on forming a devolved government in Northern Ireland, with the DUP blocking the establishment of the assembly since Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party in last month's election.

The DUP, which has the second highest number of Stormont seats, has refused to support the election of a new speaker or first and deputy first minister until there is "action" on the protocol.

The BBC understands there is still some work being done on the legal text of the new protocol bill, which has yet to be signed off by ministers.

Liz Truss is said to be keen for the legislation to get through the Commons before the summer recess.