Jacob Rees Mogg has been appointed as Minister for Brexit Opportunities , with a mandate from Boris Johnson to change 1000 regulations, now in force , which the UK adopted as an EU member, writes John Bruton.
This mandate makes a settlement of the EU/UK dispute over the Protocol next to impossible.
The more regulations in respect of goods, which Minister Rees Mogg changes, the more will be the frequency and intrusiveness of checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain. These arise under the Protocol Minister Rees Mogg and his colleagues signed and put through Parliament .
It is almost as if the Rees Mogg appointment is designed to sabotage any possibility of his colleague Liz Truss finding an agreement with Vice President Sefcovic on a lightening the Protocol.
To the extent that the Rees Mogg changes affect goods, the greater also will be the delays at British ports facing continental Europe.
Mr Rees Mogg’s real title should be “Minister for Extra Trade Barriers”
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