Comply with Northern Ireland protocol before expecting changes, EU tells UK

Letter to Michael Gove says British must meet Brexit deal obligations before flexibility' can be considered

The European commission has ruled out major changes to the Brexit deal's Northern Ireland protocol, saying it would not even consider any flexibility unless the UK first meets its obligations under the pact in full.

Hours before a major meeting in London on Thursday to resolve problems in the region, the commission's vice-president, Maro efovi, said in a letter to Michael Gove that the protocol was the only way" to protect the Good Friday agreement.