Latest approach of British Government is astonishing

• Bizarre negotiation tactic introduced as time runs out to agree free trade deal.

Responding to the potential repudiation by the British government of parts of the withdrawal agreement, Labour Brexit spokesperson Brendan Howlin said it was an astonishing approach and would make agreeing a trade agreement more difficult in the short time remaining.

Deputy Howlin said:

“It’s difficult to believe the British government could expect to progress with important negotiations on a trade agreement with the EU and at the same time repudiate the most recent withdrawal agreement freely entered into by Boris Johnson and ratified by his government.

“One can only hope that it’s an extraordinary and bizarre tactic in the trade talks, and or perhaps the UK has entered the world of Trump where they will announce something one week but do something completely different later on.

“Frankly it beggars’ belief if the policy of the UK is now to try to agree a free trade deal but simultaneously dismantle the international withdrawal agreement on which those talks are built.

“It will be difficult to carry out negotiations if that is the case. However, for Ireland this is a very serious issue as time is quickly running out.”