Britain's Brexit chief, who was in charge of the team that negotiated the agreements with the European Commission, warned yesterday that the Northern Ireland Protocol part was a "matter for debate". Now he is preparing to announce the Government's new proposals for the Protocol tomorrow by releasing a new policy paper and giving a statement to Parliament. Ahead of the announcement, Lord Frost told a session of the European Scrutiny Committee: "One of the difficulties with the Protocol is that it's quite a purposive document, and a lot of its provisions have to be read with other provisions to sort of work out precisely what they mean.

       "For example, the contradiction between the provision saying the union customs code must apply, and the provision that says that you must do your best to reduce checks at Northern Ireland ports: quite what the correct interpretation of those two things is is obviously a matter for debate.

       "So I think the issue is that certainly arguably, the way the EU is allowing us to run some of these arrangements is arguably not consistent or only partly consistent with that sort of balance.”

       It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to rip up the Brexit deal unless the EU agrees to move the goalposts on its red tape in Northern Ireland.

       A UK Government spokesman told Express.co.uk: "We will set out our approach to the Protocol to Parliament later this week.

       “Solutions must be found to address the issues which are causing significant disruption on the ground in Northern Ireland.

       "All options remain on the table if these cannot be reached.

       "The Government’s priority will always be the protection of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the peace process.”

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       2pm update: UK to join mega trading bloc by Christmas - CPTPP praise Brexit Britain

       Ministers said talks were intensifying over formal membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

       The ￡9trillion bloc has Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore among its members as well as Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam.

       Updating the House of Lords on progress for membership, Minister for Investment Lord Grimstone said officials and ministers were “pleased with the rate of progress” being made on joining the partnership.

       Addressing the International Agreements Committee this afternoon, he added: “The CPTPP is a high standards agreement, it’s part of the attraction for us to join it.

       “It’s in our interest to meet these standards [required for joining] and to ensure future applicant countries meet them also.”

       12.48pm update: ‘Quite why we left’ Guy Verhofstadt’s bid to blast EU’s ‘dictatorship' backfires

       The Belgian MEP called for a full inquiry into the Hungarian Government following allegations it had used Israeli software to spy on journalists. Mr Verhofstadt wrote on Twitter: "No more ‘deeply concerned’.... the EU has a dictatorship growing inside of it.

       "We need a full inquiry by the European Parliament!"

       But his outcry backfired as British Twitter users promptly pointed out corruption within the EU is the exact reason Brexiteers voted to leave the bloc.

       One user wrote: "Last time I checked that 'dictator' was democratically elected, unlike..."

       And another: "Only one, Guy? The whole EU project was a ‘dictatorship’ in recent years.

       "Quite why we chose to leave, and others will surely follow!"

       11.15am update: Brexit dilemma: Scottish greengrocer lashes out at UK economy’s dependence on EU

       Industry chiefs previously warned the UK is facing a summer of food shortages due to the loss of 100,000 lorry drivers due to the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit. But now, a photo has been shared on social media of empty supermarket shelves across Scotland and other parts of the country.

       Now, Scottish greengrocer, James Welby of Tattie Shaw's in Edinburgh, launched a scathing attack on Brexit.

       He said: "Excuse my French – but it is a s***show.

       "It is probably a combination of Brexit and Covid but the produce is taking much longer to get here than it used to and it often isn’t class one when it arrives.

       "Everything has a cost – even delay.

       "The produce is more expensive – on average around 10 percent more I would say, but it varies."

       10.14am update: Brexit chaos as prosecco exports to the UK fall

       The number of bottles being exported to Britain fell by nine percent during the first quarter of this year to 26 million.

       This has put the UK into second place for exports, behind the US but in front of Germany and France.

       Coldiretti, a farmers’ association, said: “The principal problems for people exporting to the United Kingdom concern customs procedures and increased transport costs due to delays and stepped up controls.

       “The situation risks encouraging the arrival of counterfeits and imitations, helped by deregulation, and it’s no accident that English pubs have been caught selling fake prosecco.”

       9.37am update: End of EU: Brussels' own report warns of dangers that could 'destroy union'

       In its annual rule of law report, the European Commission will say there are increasing threats to judicial independence and in the fight against official corruption in Hungary and Poland. But similar warnings are expected to also be extended to more mainstream member states – including Germany and France – because of challenges to the primacy of EU law.

       The study by the Commission, set to be published later today, highlights “serious concerns” over judicial independence in both Budapest and Warsaw.

       It will heavily criticise Hungary for failing to address high-level corruption, such as clientelism and favouritism, at the top of government.

       The report will cover developments in all 27 EU nations, but is expected to focus on the two controversial rule-breakers the most.

       The chapters on Hungary and Poland are particularly sensitive, with both countries still vying to secure approval for their multibillion-euro shares of the bloc’s coronavirus recovery fund.

       “Risks of clientism, favouritism and nepotism in high-level public administration as well as risks arising from the link between businesses and political actors remain unaddressed,” the Hungarian section will say.

       8.36am update: Emmanuel Macron at war with EU over ECJ decision on French military - Even Barnier furious

       The European Court of Justice (CJEU) recently condemned the EU member for insisting that military personnel are not included in the country’s 35-hour working week. It disagreed and ruled the same labour laws apply to soldiers as any other workers providing they are not on active operations.

       This has provoked outrage from Mr Macron’s Government - who insist that military personnel should remain exempt to honour their commitment to be available "at all times and in all places”.

       Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly protested strongly against the decision.

       He told Le Figaro: “(It) ignores the reality of the daily lives of our soldiers, who very often exercise several trades at the same time.

       “In addition, the effectiveness of our defence tool relies on all of our soldiers, and we do not conduct effective war operations if the equipment is not well maintained, if the medical visits are not made on time, if food is not supplied.

       “There is a continuum in the actions of our soldiers, which all contribute to the same objective: to achieve the mission.

       “When a frigate has to set sail the next day to escort a nuclear missile launcher (SSBN), for example, and one of its engines suddenly breaks down, will the SSBN's departure be delayed for reasons of working time?"

       8.14am update: EU dashes hopes of deal with Brexit Britain - bloc eyes its own ‘best interests’

       London could be replaced as Europe's financial capital by the likes of Amsterdam, Dublin and Frankfurt, the European Commission's financial service chief has pledged, as she lightly poured cold water on an equivalence deal with the UK.

       The UK was hoping to strike a deal over the British financial sector’s role in Europe, which would allow for mutual recognition of financial service rules between London and Brussels.

       But despite a “memorandum of understanding” being provisionally agreed in March this year allowing for engagement on financial industry matters, no “equivalence” deal for the sector has been signed.

       Last night, Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Services also admitted “no negotiations” were taking place on securing a deal.