PM Johnson says bill will stop EU using "stick" against UK

Britain's plan to break the Brexit divorce treaty through an Internal Market Bill is a protection against any attempts by the European Union to use the "stick" of Northern Ireland against Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

Responding to a legislator who said the EU was seeking to use Northern Ireland as a stick with which to beat Britain, Johnson said: "The intention of this bill is clearly to stop any such use of the stick against this country. That's what it does."

"It's a protection, it's a safety net, it's an insurance policy and it's a very sensible measure," he said, adding he had no desire to use the measures.