UK's Truss to set out next steps on N.Ireland on Tuesday -minister

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday the government needed an "insurance" option to be able to unilaterally scrap post-Brexit trade rules for the province, a move that could trigger a trade war with the European Union. Senior ministers will meet to decide on Britain's next steps on Tuesday morning following Johnson's discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland on Monday, Lewis said, before Truss makes a statement to parliament.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will set out the next steps London is willing to take to tackle trade issues in Northern Ireland later on Tuesday but passing legislation imminently is not on the cards, her ministerial colleague Brandon Lewis said.

Lewis, the minister for Northern Ireland, said Britain still wanted to find a negotiated solution with the European Union over the post-Brexit rules of trade, but it would not rule anything out. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday the government needed an "insurance" option to be able to unilaterally scrap post-Brexit trade rules for the province, a move that could trigger a trade war with the European Union.

Senior ministers will meet to decide on Britain's next steps on Tuesday morning following Johnson's discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland on Monday, Lewis said, before Truss makes a statement to parliament. Asked whether Britain would introduce new legislation to make changes to the so-called Northern Ireland protocol this week, Lewis told Sky News: "Something like that this week was never on the cards."

He said parliament was still busy debating the government's legislative agenda for the coming year. "We would like to get an agreement with the EU," he said.

"We've always said we take nothing off the table. If we do need to legislate, we will not shy away from doing that," he told BBC Television.

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