THE PRIME Minister is preparing to hold crisis talks with the main political leaders in Northern Ireland in an attempt to break the impasse over Brexit rules.
Protesters have already gathered in Hillsborough, County Down, ahead of Boris Johnson's arrival.
Some held banners reading 'Back off Boris. Protect the Protocol!', while others were demonstrating about the government's plans to offer an effective amnesty to prosecution for Troubles offences.
Families of 11 people killed in west Belfast in 1971 were among those taking part.
Mr Johnson is hoping to try and break the deadlock over the Northern Ireland protocol, which is barring the formation of a government in Stormont.
While Sinn Fein, the largest party in NI following the last elections, want the protocol to remain, the DUP has said unless it is scrapped they will not agree to form a government.
Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill said this morning the protocol was "here to stay" and warned that party leaders did not need a "pep talk" from the Prime Minister.
She also accused Mr Johnson of "madness" at suggestions of ripping up the post-Brexit trade protocol, and "shoring up the DUP's bad behaviour".
Ms O'Neill, who would become the First Minister of Northern Ireland should a power-sharing executive be established, said: “We have no desire for a pep talk from Boris Johnson, we want politics to work.
“I want to be in the Executive.
"I want to lead for the people, not least to respond to the cost-of-living crisis but what we have today are repeated approaches from Boris Johnson to say they are going to take unilateral action to disapply parts of the protocol, and that is just reckless and madness, I think all efforts and all attentions need to be turned to negotiated solutions, agreed solutions, find ways to smooth the implementation of the protocol because it is here to stay, and I think that’s an objective that both I and the Taoiseach share.”
Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP leader, said he wanted to see action, not words, from the Prime Minister ahead of the visit today.
He told the BBC: "Words don’t cut it for me, I need action and that’s how I will judge what the Prime Minister does, not necessarily what he says.
“I want his words translated into clear action.
“I will judge what the Government does and I will look at the credibility of what that is and the impact it has in terms of removing that Irish Sea border.
“I will make my judgments based on what has happened, I am not going to speculate at this stage.
“I haven’t seen the Government’s proposals, so I’m not in a position to say I would do A or B, but you will note that in the past we have been reasonable, we have taken proportionate action, we have sought to give time for negotiations, to bring forward outcomes. That hasn’t happened and I think the time has come now for action.
“If the Government takes decisive action, then, of course, we will consider what steps we can take."
The Prime Minister's official spokesman told journalists this morning that the UK "reserves the right" to trigger Article 16 which would suspend the Northern Ireland Protocoll, but stressed that was not the approach currently being taken.
He said there were parts of the agreement which could be "superseded" by further talks with Brussels, adding: "We believe the protocol, as drafted, allows for further negotiations, improvements and enhancements to be made, to facilitate properly, to work properly for the long term.
“That’s what we want to do. We want significant changes to how the protocol is being enforced and we think there is sensible flexibility that was envisaged when it was drafted.
“As I say, we think there is a sensible landing spot within the protocol, and that’s what we want to see.”
Asked whether he was referring to Article 16 when mentioning how the protocol was “drafted”, the No 10 official replied: “No. I understand there is a lot of focus on that but it was Article 13.8 that saw parts of the protocol being superseded by future agreements between the UK and EU and allowing.
“The protocol at the time recognised that there would be further discussions to take place.”
A No.10 official confirmed Liz Truss, foreign secretary, would be making a statement tomorrow when asked why the Government was said to be looking at domestic legislation when the protocol contained the ability to unilaterally suspend the Brexit treaty.
He said: “We are getting slightly ahead of what the Foreign Secretary will say tomorrow when she will set out any rationale for our approach.”
Asked why the Government was not considering using Article 16, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said: “We still reserve the right to use Article 16.
“And indeed we believe the conditions have been met to use it but our focus is how we best protect peace and democracy in Northern Ireland – that will be our guiding principle for any further actions we may choose to take."
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