But Micheál Martin told a conference in Oxford on Saturday that the next two weeks would be critical and that he hoped the new leader of the Conservative party, likely Liz Truss, would send a “serious message” that they wanted to leave behind the controversy. . Comments by Truss or rival Rishi Sunak will be closely watched and set the tone for a new chapter in relations with both Ireland and the EU, Martin said. Echoing warnings from EU Brexit negotiator Maroš Šefčovič on Friday, he called on the British government not to push ahead with legislation to scrap part of the Northern Ireland protocol, warning it would further damage relations. “Unilateralism does not work. It encourages suspicion and mistrust. We believe there is an opportunity with the election of a new prime minister to create a window of opportunity for a new spirit to enable negotiations,” he said. The EU and the UK government have expressed their determination to resolve the dispute through negotiations, but some have described their demands as a “dialogue of the deaf” with the two sides traveling on parallel lines. The UK looks likely to double down rather than strike a conciliatory note next week. On Friday, Northern Ireland Secretary Shailesh Vara said there would be no backtracking and that the UK should implement the legislation as an “insurance policy” and Truss is said to be considering triggering Article 16, which does not it would mean weakening his position in the Eurosceptic wing of the Tory party. “Unfortunately, unilateral action on protocol and legacy is at odds with the spirit of partnership needed to support the Good Friday Agreement,” Martin told the British Irish Association conference. “It tests and spoils this partnership between us. It risks further instability in Northern Ireland and damage to key sectors of the economy.” He said Ireland as a nation had adapted to Brexit, but the dispute over the protocol was preventing Anglo-Irish relations from flourishing in other areas, including joint wind power projects and education. “We need to expand our relationship. The protocol prevented a renewal, a reset of relations after Brexit,” he said. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “Like all long-term relationships, there are times when we don’t understand each other, maybe we misunderstand each other’s actions and the resulting consequences, but ultimately we both want and need to make it work,” she said. “I want to work in an open and constructive way with the new British Prime Minister. “I honestly believe that the EU would respond positively to a serious and genuine message from the new British Prime Minister that their priority is to reach an agreed outcome on the issues surrounding the implementation of the protocol.” Talks on the Northern Ireland protocol broke down in February when war broke out in Ukraine, but in a move that has prompted legal action from the EU, the Tories are pushing ahead with proposals for a new law to allow the UK to leave the protocol signed in January 2020 as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
