The UK Government has said it will not intervene in an order to stop Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
DUP minister Edwin Poots, whose officials are responsible for carrying out Northern Ireland Protocol checks, said he had ordered his permanent secretary to stop them at midnight on Wednesday night.
It is unclear whether the senior civil servant in his department, Anthony Harbinson, will comply with the order.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) has refused to confirm if the order will be carried out.
It may only become clear once the first ferries arrive at the port on Thursday morning.
DUP rivals at Stormont insist the civil service has a duty to comply with Stormont’s legal obligations to carry out the checks under the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
But in a statement, the UK Government said it would not interfere with the move, saying it was a “matter for the Northern Ireland Executive”.
“The operation of checks is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive,” a Government spokesperson said.
“We…
