Johnson warns PM Sunak against abandoning Northern Ireland protocol: Reports

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Britain's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the country's current leader Rishi Sunak against abandoning the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill in favor of a new Brexit, local media reported on Sunday.

Johnson thought it would be a "great mistake" to have a new deal and move away from the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to a source close to him.

According to a report by Sunday Telegraph, the source said Johnson thought that abandoning the bill would be "a great mistake" however, the ex-premier believes it is hard to "make a judgement" until the text is released.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet source told BBC that there are "yards ahead" on reaching a deal with the EU, although they are “working hard.”

The protocol bill is currently paused in parliament as the UK and EU try to grab a new deal to resolve the issue.

On Saturday, Sunak said that there are "real issues that need resolving."

"It's causing very real challenges for families, for people for businesses on the ground, very practical difficulties, and they need to be resolved," he said, in response to a question at the Munich Security Conference.

Sunak's plan for the protocol is expected to be released next week.

- Northern Ireland Protocol

The Northern Ireland Protocol necessitates border checks on any animal and plant-based products, including frozen meat and processed meat products, before their transport to Northern Ireland, which is aligned with EU rules and regulations.

The protocol creates a de facto trade border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The UK left the bloc on Jan. 31, 2020, as a result of the 2016 Brexit referendum that ended the country’s more than 40-year membership in the European club.

The agreement signed by the sides included the protocol, which practically avoided a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The protocol has been a point of disagreement between the sides.