N.I Protocol was signed up to by May. If you can all remember what things were like back then, there was some time pressure. I don't excuse Boris by any means, but I understand the 'crossed fingers, it's unacceptable but we'll see what we can do with it' scenario in order to simply get us out.
Now chickens are coming home to roost. Efforts have been made to make it work - but it doesn't, never could, never can. So, since there is provision, I believe, in the protocol, to abandon/reconsider it, if it proved to be unworkable this is now being explored. The EU will exploit it, of course. But they put it in knowing it would lead to conflict. If we upset them, sorry. They need to work with us to make it workable or else we just kick them out of it. This will lead to huge Irish border problems - but not of our making!.