Brexit: Back me over the bill, Johnson tells Tory MPs - BBC News

Boris Johnson has urged Conservative MPs to back his plan to override part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

And a Tory MP has proposed an amendment to the bill, which would affect trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill, which will be formally debated in the House of Commons for the first time on Monday, addresses the Northern Ireland Protocol - the part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

If it became law it would give UK ministers powers to modify or "disapply" rules relating to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland that will come into force from 1 January, if the UK and EU are unable to strike a trade deal.

He accused the EU of adopting an "extreme" interpretation of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose "a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea" that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland

The PM said it has become clear that there may be a "serious misunderstanding" between the UK and EU over the Withdrawal Agreement

He said the UK must be protected from what he called a "disaster" of the EU to "carve up our country" and "endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland"

At around the same time as the prime minister was speaking, the European Parliament announced it would "under no circumstances ratify" any trade deal reached between the UK and EU if the "UK authorities breach or threaten to breach" the Withdrawal Agreement