The European Commission has rowed back on their 'hugely inflammatory' attempt to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, after outcry from the British and Irish governments. The fact that it was even attempted in the first place exposes a misunderstanding of the Irish border on the part of the EU, and sets a dangerous precedent.On this episode of the New Statesman Podcast, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss why the decision was made to invoke the clause, and the implications it raises. Then, in You Ask Us, they answer your question on whether a nominally leftwing party can ever justify a closed border policy.Further Reading:Stephen writes that the EU doesn't understand the Irish border any better than the Brexiteers do.Ailbhe argues that by attempting to trigger Article 16, the EU has lost the moral high ground.Anoosh has been following the cladding crisis, and reports here on the millions of people stuck in unsafe homes as a result.We'd love to hear from you.Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk.You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewSubscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12If you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.Topics in this episodeEuropeUKIrelandNorthern IrelandArticle 16Northern Ireland protocolBrexitCovid-19VaccineThe DUPConservativesEuropean CommissionPeople in this episodeArlene FosterBoris JohnsonUrsula Von der LayenJean Claude JunckerKeir StarmerStephen BushAnoosh ChakelianAilbhe Rea See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.