Encouraging to read that UK officials are stepping up efforts to make the Northern Ireland protocol, as it is almost certainly here to stay. https://www.ft.com/content/ce89dea5-1217-45e6-9b79-5ea7321e7494?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8

Why is the Northern Ireland Protocol here to stay? Because behind the bluster his actions suggest the PM has chosen a US trade deal as priority. That trade deal in turn prevents either closer EU alignment or scrapping the protocol. Me, paywalled... https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/desire-for-us-trade-deal-only-way-to-make-sense-of-johnson-s-stance-on-ni-protocol-1.4543767?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fdesire-for-us-trade-deal-only-way-to-make-sense-of-johnson-s-stance-on-ni-protocol-1.4543767

The PM's aim seems to be demonstrating Brexit and Global Britain in action with a US trade deal before the next election. That means overcoming opposition from unionists to the protocol and farmers and others to US food standards. And hoping Biden actually wants trade deals.

Interestingly the bluster around the Northern Ireland protocol is matched by the bluster over food standards for Great Britain - over several years the government has never quite ruled out accepting US food. Easy to draw conclusions from that.

Bluster disguising ruthlessness has been a tried and tested and usually successful tactic for the Conservative Party many times. But there's a lot of different pieces and powerful opponents to a US trade deal, so it is also quite the gamble in this case. But Johnson is a gambler.