The UK risks a trade war with the EU if the next Tory leader and prime minister rip up parts of the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly has warned.
A law that would allow the government to unilaterally amend the 2019 deal is currently being considered by MPs.
The deal was agreed by both sides but the UK says it has disrupted trade and power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
Kelly warned of “serious consequences” if the deal was breached under Johnson’s successor.
The UK government said it favoured a negotiated solution but accused the EU of repeatedly refusing to change the deal to resolve “the full range of issues”.
Most of the remaining Tory candidates vying to replace Mr Johnson have expressed support for changing the deal and passing the bill that would give them powers to do so.
Kelly is the lead author of a draft law that would enable the EU to retaliate to violations of the deal, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. When asked how realistic a trade war over this dispute was, he told the BBC: “I would hope it isn’t going to happen. It would be madness if it did.
“But the point to be made is, if the United Kingdom push it, and go ahead [with the legislation], then the ultimate occurrence is going to be a trade war.”
A trade war involves putting up barriers to the exchange of goods across borders and could increase living costs at a time of pressure on household finances.
“We urgently want to resolve the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said.
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