Michael Gove to hold hastily arranged Brexit talks with EU

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove leaving a Pret a Manger in Westminster. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA. - Credit: PA

Hastily arranged Brexit talks will take place on Thursday after the EU reacted strongly to Boris Johnson’s move to override key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement break with Brussels.

An ‘extraordinary meeting’ of the Joint Committee between the UK and EU is being held in London after the prime minister unveiled proposed legislation to alter key elements of the Brexit deal with Brussels regarding Northern Ireland.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove will meet senior EU official Maros Sefcovic to discuss the situation, as talks between the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost and his Brussels counterpart Michel Barnier continue.

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The meeting between Gove and Sefcovic comes as speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi insisted there was ‘absolutely no chance’ of Congress passing an American trade deal with the UK if the Northern Ireland peace process was ‘imperilled’.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was ‘very concerned’ following the tabling in parliament of the UK Internal Market Bill, which ministers have admitted will breach international law.

She said such actions would ‘undermine trust’ and called on the prime minister to honour his past commitments.

The European Commission’s chief spokesperson Eric Mamer tweeted late on Wednesday: ‘Following today’s announcement by the UK, Maros Sefcovic will travel to London tomorrow to meet Michael Gove for an extraordinary meeting of the Joint Committee.

‘The EU seeks clarifications from the UK on the full and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.’

Ministers argue the new proposed legislation is necessary to protect the Northern Ireland peace process if London and Brussels are unable to agree a free trade deal before the current Brexit transition period runs out at the end of the year.