Rishi Sunak is set for his biggest political test yet as he presses to unveil a deal to fix issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol, despite pushback from Boris Johnson and unionists.
Downing Street said talks are ongoing to reach an agreement with the European Union aimed at breaking the impasse over the contentious post-Brexit trading arrangements.
No 10 denied reports suggesting the prime minister has been forced to delay an announcement – widely expected as early as this week – amid backlash from up to 100 Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The DUP has warned it would not support a deal retaining the oversight role of the European Court of Justice.
It is understood Mr Sunak’s officials held talks with their Brussels counterparts on Sunday on how to give local politicians a greater say in the application of EU law in the region, addressing what unionists call the “democratic deficit”.
A senior DUP figure said the party had “heard nothing” from the Government on this “fundamental issue”.
“The progress made so far is very slim. The fundamental issues have not been addressed,” Sammy Wilson told Channel 4 News.
Mr Sunak has stressed his focus on the “democratic deficit”, as he hopes to convince Northern Ireland’s largest unionist party to ditch its veto on the formation of a power-sharing executive in Stormont.
But the prime minister would be willing to go ahead with a UK-EU accord even without the DUP’s support, according to The Times.
The newspaper quoted a Whitehall source as saying that it would be “unhelpful” to “set a bar that is not necessarily in the interests of those we are trying to negotiate for”.
But pressure on Mr Sunak is mounting after his predecessor-but-one made a weekend intervention calling for him to take a tougher line with the EU.
A source close to Mr Johnson said his view was that “it would be a great mistake to drop the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill” – which would empower the UK to unilaterally scrap parts of the treaty.
A senior Government official indicated that a successful outcome would mean the controversial legislation – tabled at Westminster under Mr Johnson’s leadership but paused when Mr Sunak entered No 10 – would no longer be needed.
Mr Johnson’s intervention – his first on Brexit since departing No 10 – has raised concerns over a potential rebellion by Eurosceptic Tory backbenchers if Mr Sunak’s changes are put to a vote in Parliament.
Some Tories quickly sided with the former prime minister, with Lord Frost – who negotiated Mr Johnson’s original Brexit deal – urging the Government to “push on with the Protocol Bill”.
Other Conservatives criticised Mr Johnson’s pronouncements. Former chancellor George Osborne said he was “causing trouble” because he was “interested in becoming prime minister again”.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt said the ex-premier’s intervention was not “completely unhelpful” as it would “remind the EU” of the UK’s leverage over Brussels.
She also said any pact would have to be supported by the DUP, a widely-held view among Brexiteers.
Tory backbenchers in the European Research Group will reportedly meet on Tuesday to discuss any deal, potentially spelling trouble for Mr Sunak if they are angered by concessions made by the UK.
