NI protocol and trade

Sir, – Liz Truss in her article says that the UK government might now have to act outside its legal agreement in order to resolve trade issues between Northern Ireland and Britain (“The problems of the Northern Ireland protocol are baked into the text”, Opinion & Analysis, May 25th).

Her view seems to contradict Boris Johnson’s announcement back in December 2020 that the Brexit deal was “oven ready”.

One would have to ask the question if Boris Johnson or anyone on the British negotiating team had made the effort to fully understand the terms of the protocol before they signed on the dotted line.

Or perhaps in the cavalier and party atmosphere that seems to have prevailed in Downing Street in late 2020, some British civil servants did point out areas of concern but no one was really paying attention. The most honourable course of action for Boris Johnson and Liz Truss now is to engage seriously with the European Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic’s proposals and to finally provide certainty for the hard-pressed business community of Northern Ireland. – Yours, etc,

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ANNA KIRBY,

Mallow,

Co Cork.

Sir, – The majority of people in Northern Ireland voted against Brexit and the DUP insists that the national UK vote must be respected. The national UK parliament votes for a Brexit deal including the protocol, and the DUP insists that the NI voice on the matter must be heard. It defies logic! – Yours, etc,

IVAN RUSK,

Quin,

Co Clare.