Ex-Northern Ireland secretary accuses Boris Johnson of ‘Putinesque tactics’

Labour peer Peter Hain says PM is using Northern Ireland protocol bill to provoke populist row with EU

Boris Johnson is engaging in Putinesque" tactics by using the Northern Ireland protocol bill to cause a populist row with Brussels when the EU is willing to compromise, Peter Hain, a former Northern Ireland secretary, said on Sunday.

Hain, who sits on a Lords subcommittee on the protocol, said Brussels appeared willing to compromise, but Johnson was more keen on engaging in a parallel universe blame game".