Sir Keir has this afternoon announced Labour will vote against the government’s new Brexit laws scheduled to be published on Monday – which will give the UK the power to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol – on the grounds that “it is the wrong approach” and would “breach international law“:

“I don’t think that the remaining issues under the protocol are incapable for resolution. So I don’t think that this legislation is the way forward. I think it will breach international law for starters… I also think it will be an impediment to the negotiations. We need a negotiated settlement to this.

When I think of all the issues, all the challenges that have been overcome in the last 20 years I don’t think that the remaining issues of the protocol are incapable of resolution”

He added that while there were “practical problems” with the protocol, a negotiated settlement could be achieved through “guile and hard work“. What that actually means is anyone’s guess.