NI Protocol: Rows develop ahead of new legislation
Brandon Lewis has accused the EU of being "disingenuous" about offering "flexibilities" on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme: "What they've been saying consistently across the media and have been reported as saying is that they're offering flexibilities. Well, they're not.
"What the EU are offering is some flexibility based on a fully-implemented protocol. That would be, actually, worse than the situation we've got today."
He added: "So, I do think they've been disingenuous in suggesting they're being flexible when in fact they've not shown the flexibility that's required to resolve these issues for the people of Northern Ireland."
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said Lewis was "talking through his hat" by insisting legislation giving ministers powers to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol will not breach international law.
Mrs McDonald said: "Brandon Lewis is talking through his hat, and not for the first time.
"Brandon Lewis should know, the Tory government should know, that where there are issues to be resolved with the protocol, issues of smoothing out its application, there are mechanisms through which that can happen.
"There is a willingness here, a willingness to engage by the European Commission.
"But the British Government has refused to engage, has not been constructive, has sought a destructive path and is now proposing to introduce legislation that will undoubtedly breach international law.
"And against the expressed democratic wishes of people in the north of Ireland who went to the polls, who made their democratic decision and who have returned a majority of members that support the protocol."
She added the Conservative government is on an agenda of "undermining, attacking and damaging the Good Friday Agreement".
Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday said: "We are just about 40 days out from that election in the north and we don't have institutions of government, it is utterly disgraceful that we are in this place.
"The protocol is working, the protocol is the mechanism which gives the north uniquely unfettered access to the European market.
"What the Tory government is proposing to do in breaching international law is to create huge, huge damage to the northern economy, to the Irish economy.
"They propose to breach international law and are on an agenda of undermining, attacking and damaging the Good Friday Agreement."
Brandon Lewis said the Government will set out the "legal basis" underpinning its new legislation on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked how people can be sure Monday's move is not in breach of international law, and specifically if the Government will publish the legal advice this is based on, he told Sky News'Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "We're setting out the legal basis on which we are taking forward this legislation."
He added: "We will be setting out our legal position on this. People will see that what we're proposing resolves the key issues within the protocol that don't work."
The Government "plans to break international law" with its proposal to scrap elements of Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade arrangements, Labour has suggested.
Mr Lewis insisted legislation giving ministers powers to scrap parts of the Protocol will not breach international law.
He said the move will be "lawful" and "correct".
Asked if the new legislation, to be introduced to Parliament on Monday, will be in breach of the law, Mr Lewis added: "The legislation we'll outline tomorrow is within the law. What we're going to do is lawful and it is correct."