BORIS Johnson jets into Belfast today in a bid to find a “sensible landing spot” over the hated Northern Ireland protocol.
The PM will hold crunch talks with Sinn Fein and the DUP to try to form a new Assembly after the unionists blocked it.
DUP members are demanding the protocol — which creates a trade border in the Irish Sea — be torn up.
But the EU says the deal cannot be changed and warned ripping up the agreement by triggering Article 16 would spark a trade war.
Before the meetings, Mr Johnson told the Belfast Telegraph there was scope for a deal, but would not rule out tearing up the agreement.
He said: “There is without question a sensible landing spot in which everyone’s interests are protected. I hope the EU’s position changes.
Read more on the Northern Ireland protocol
“If not, there will be a necessity to act.”
Yesterday, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney also said there would be a deal “landing zone” but added: “Sabre rattling and grandstanding in Westminster is not the way to do it.”
Sir Ivan Rogers, Britain’s ex ambassador to the EU, warned of a “severe risk we are heading into a trade war”.
But Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said a trade war would be “self-defeating” for the EU.
