It has always struck me as odd that the EU has reacted so timidly to the House of Commons passing legislation that will explicitly break the Withdrawal Agreement while making these veiled threats if the UK invokes A.16.

Whatever the merits of any justification, both parties are entitled, under the Treaty to invoke A.16, and indeed the EU almost did so some time ago (a decision hastily reversed).

So why react so strongly to a legal (if difficult to justify) act while doing nothing about the NI Protocol Bill which explicitly gives Minsters wide ranging powers to illegally nullify parts of the Withdrawal Agreement?

And would the EU really give notice of termination of the TCA if Article 16 is invoked? and what then is its escalation plan if the NI Protocol Bill becomes law around the end of this year?

Index of Frank's Diaries