[Sephiroth]

I sympathise with what the Guvmin seeks to achieve - which is to prevent the EU's reach into the UK post transition.

I can also see that the rush to "get Brexit done" may have led to some carelessness over the implications of some terms of the WA, or (less likely) at "worst" a cynical assessment that if there is no trade deal, we could reverse some of the WA terms.

But rather than spook the trade talks as they have now done, they could have waited for the outcome of the trade talks and then, if the EU intruded into our affairs and free trade between GB and NI, simply to put up the hand and say "Non" and fight the battle then.