It says Secretary Liz Truss will propose a ‘bill to provide for the effect in domestic law of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the EU Withdrawal Agreement, on other national laws in the areas covered by the protocol and for related purposes. ”.

Unionists feared the delayed launch of the bill in parliament this week could signal that Boris Johnson’s administration was backtracking on the bill.

The presence of the bill on the agenda confirms that the foreign secretary will push forward legislation allowing the government to modify the agreement post-Brexit.

Sources said the new legislation will radically change the protocol in three key areas: East-West trade between Britain and Northern Ireland; the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) governing legal disputes in the province and EU directives on state aid and flat VAT rates.

Changes to the post-Brexit deal would mean two new channels at NI ports for goods entering the province from Britain with a ‘green channel’ for those who only end up here and checks only in the “red channel” for goods destined for the Republic and the EU single market.

The powers of the ECJ would also be drastically reduced and NI could benefit from VAT cuts and other forms of emergency state aid without EU approval, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney yesterday claimed the EU’s stance on the protocol had “hardened” in the face of Britain’s threat to unilaterally abandon part of the deals.

Mr Coveney urged the UK to back off from plans to publish national legislation that would replace elements of the post-Brexit protocol governing trade between GB and NI.

The government is expected to table its controversial bill in Westminster next week amid reports of differences in Cabinet over the scope of the legislative proposals.

Mr Coveney said publishing the legislation would ’cause a lot more problems than it solves’ in relation to Anglo-Irish relations and UK-EU relations.

He added: “My message to the UK Government is very clear that if you are really interested in negotiated solutions to these issues, and there are issues in terms of the protocol and its implementation, eh let’s see evidence of a willingness to seriously negotiate these solutions through compromise, through flexibility.

He and Taoiseach Micheal Martin held talks with Labor Party leader Sir Keir Starmer in Dublin yesterday to discuss the ongoing standoff over arrangements that require regulatory checks and customs declarations on goods moving into the UK -Uni to NI.

Sir Keir accused Mr Johnson of taking a ‘wrecking ball’ in relations with the Republic and the EU.

Later, the Labor leader said he did not believe Northern Ireland was close to a border ballot. He told RTE: “I don’t think we are near a border polling station. I think that’s a hypothetical question. What we’re dealing with are practical trade issues now that the UK has left the EU so I don’t think a border is near even on the horizon and so that’s a question hypothetical,” Sir Keir said. .

He said what the citizens of Northern Ireland really want is for their politicians to solve practical problems for the people. Ahead of his radio interview, the Labor leader accused Mr Johnson of being more interested in ‘saving his own skin’ than mending relations with Ireland and the EU.

The Labor leader, who is meeting with the NI parties today, said the challenges posed by the protocol can only be overcome by trust from all parties.

“Of course there are challenges with protocol, but I think we’ve faced much greater challenges than that in our shared history,” Sir Keir said.

Last night Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill claimed the DUP was ‘holding Boris Johnson back’ by forcing the Tories to legislate against the protocol.