UK Remains Fully Committed to Implementing Withdrawal Agreement, Prime Minister's Spokesman Says

The statement comes amid reports that Prime Minister Johnson intends to annul certain parts of the withdrawal deal that the UK and the EU agreed on last year. Following the reports, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called on London to stick to the deal.

The UK remains fully committed to implementing the withdrawal deal agreed on with the European Union, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

"We are taking limited and reasonable steps to clarify specific elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol in domestic law to remove any ambiguity and to ensure the government is always able to deliver on its commitments to the people of Northern Ireland", the spokesperson explained when asked about reports of alleged UK plans to scrap some parts of the accord. 

The Financial Times earlier in the day reported, citing three anonymous sources, that London is looking to override parts of the Brexit divorce agreement in areas related to state aid and Northern Ireland customs.

This comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the United Kingdom and the European Union have until 15 October to agree on the terms of a free trade agreement after Brexit.

The UK withdrew from the EU on 31 January. The two agreed on a transition period until 31 December to negotiate the bilateral trade terms post-Brexit. The items they have so far failed to agree on are regulations on fisheries and state aid.