Brexit's Gordian knot, part two

Ripping up the Northern Ireland protocol is wrong. But the alternative is worse

Alexander the Great cuts the Gordian Knot; Jean-Simon Barthélmy, 1743–1811

When Boris Johnson signed the terms of withdrawal for the UK to leave the European Union in October 2019, he was hailed as the saviour of Britain’s Brexit decision which was almost derailed by an unholy alliance of Eurocrats and anti-Brexit “Remainer” MPs.

Some of us Brexiteers took a rather different view. We were deeply alarmed by the compromises the new prime minister had been forced to make, particularly over that part of the agreement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In 2019, Johnson accepted the protocol. Now he wants to rip up those parts of it that are most harmful to the UK’s interests. Critics protest that he will thus be breaking international law. He says his proposals are both legal and essential. So is he in the wrong or is he justified? 

Well, both. Please bear with me. It’s complicated.