Bloomberg: U.K. Triggering Article 16 Would Be Reckless, Irish PM Warns

08 November 2021

The U.K. would be “reckless and irresponsible” if it were to move to set aside parts of the Brexit agreement, Ireland’s prime minister said, amid growing speculation the British government is preparing to do just that.

“I think it would be reckless and irresponsible to trigger Article 16” of the agreement, Micheal Martin told reporters in Cork on Monday. Still, it is not certain what the U.K. will do, he added, warning against “self-fulfilling prophesies.”

Nothing should be done “unilaterally” to undermine progress made in Northern Ireland over the last 50 years, Martin said. 

His comments come a day after Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney warned the entire trade deal between the U.K. and EU could be thrown into question if Britain revokes its commitments to the Northern Ireland protocol.

Bloomberg

Read More: EU Mulls Terminating Brexit Trade Deal If U.K. Rift Deepens

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