Speed read: What the 3 remaining Brexit options mean for green protections

1 Johnson’s proposal

While soundly rejected by EU officials and member states, Downing Street’s proposal would involve setting up two customs zones on the island of Ireland but keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods, agri-food and electricity.

Free from the level playing field provisions set out in the withdrawal agreement negotiated by Theresa May, the UK would be free to relax regulations in sectors such as life sciences, with government ministers repeatedly pointing to gene editing as one area where the rules could change.