Brexit standoff as Rishi Sunak faces threat of Theresa May-style revolt by Tory Eurosceptics and DUP amid hopes a Northern Ireland deal can be agreed as soon as tomorrow – as minister tells unionists to live in the ‘real world’

• DUP and Tory Brexiteers warn there’s ‘still some way to go’ on a Protocol deal 
• Jeffrey Donaldson meets with European Research Group of MPs at Westminster 

Rishi Sunak is in a Brexit stand-off with unionists and scores of his own backbenchers today as he seeks a deal with the EU over Northern Ireland. 

The Prime Minister is struggling to win over hardline eurosceptics to an outline of an agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol with Brussels, amid reports it could be ready by tomorrow. 

Both the DUP and the European Research Group of Tory MPs – two influential groups who would be key to a deal’s success – continued to withhold their support.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson warned there was ‘some way to go’ to placate his party over rules governing goods entering Ulster from Britain.  

However, a minister today suggested the DUP needed to ‘live in the real world’ and accept the deal.

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer told Times Radio that parties in Northern Ireland needed to ‘conduct themselves in good faith’ when asked about the protocol debate which has seen Stormont suspended.

Asked whether the DUP was ‘letting down’ people in Northern Ireland, he said: ‘I think people in politics have got to remember what we’re there for: we’re here to serve, it is a life of public service. No one party has a monopoly on what’s right for Northern Ireland.’

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer told Times Radio that parties in Northern Ireland needed to ‘conduct themselves in good faith’ when asked about the protocol debate which has seen Stormont suspended.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said there was ‘still some way to go’ on a Protocol deal after meeting with Tory Brexiteers at Westminster

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is thought to be on the verge of striking a deal over the post-Brexit trade dispute with the EU

Sir Jeffrey last night outlined how his party was pushing for the UK Government to remove requirements for Northern Ireland businesses to have to abide by EU laws when selling goods to the rest of the UK.

He said the idea of ‘dynamic alignment’ between Northern Ireland and EU rules, as currently exists under the Protocol, was ‘the key issue’ in his party’s opposition to the post-Brexit arrangements.

What is the Brexit row about and what has been the impact on Northern Ireland?

The UK and the EU have been engaged in substantive negotiations over the workings of the Northern Ireland Protocol of the original withdrawal agreement that allowed the UK to leave the EU.

It was designed to ensure the free movement of goods across the Irish land border with Ulster after Brexit.

Rather than being an internal EU line between two countries, with Brexit it  became a border between the bloc and a third party country with different customs and trade rules.

In any other cases it would be solved simply by creating a ‘hard’ border – physical checks on vehicles and people travelling between the two.

But the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of violence in 1998, expressly prohibits a return to such checkpoints on the island of Ireland. 

To get around this the protocol instead created economic barriers on trade being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

It has proven to be deeply unpopular with unionists, who claim it has weakened Northern Ireland’s place within the UK.

Last year the DUP collapsed the powersharing institutions at Stormont in protest at the arrangements. It came as the party was replaced as the largest in the powersharing government by Sinn Fein for the first time.

And the DUP is refusing to back a deal and restart powersharing unless their concerns are realised. They have set seven tests that it must pass to be approved.

The ERG, which has  often been a staunch supporter of the DUP on Brexit issues, insisted it could only take a view on a Protocol deal once it had been scrutinised by its  ‘Star Chamber’ of lawyers.

A revolt by Tory eurosceptics against a Protocol deal could imperil Mr Sunak’s chances of finally resolving the UK’s dispute with Brussels and put further pressure on his premiership.

The DUP are continuing to boycott powersharing in Northern Ireland as part of their protest against the Protocol, with a resolution to the UK-EU row seen as critical to restoring Stormont government.

Speaking after a meeting with the ERG at Westminster tonight, attended by up to 50 MPs, Sir Jeffrey commended Mr Sunak for the progress he had made so far on reaching a Protocol deal with the EU.

But he added: ‘There’s still some way to go, there are still some very key issues that need to be resolved.

‘We will work with the Government to ensure we get the right outcome. An outcome that respects Northern Ireland’s place in the UK and its internal market, an outcome that meets our seven tests, and an outcome that sees the political institutions in Northern Ireland restored on a firm democratic footing.’

Sir Jeffrey said the DUP were ‘concerned’ that any deal means the application of EU law is replaced by UK law for Northern Ireland businesses trading goods with the rest of the UK. 

He stressed that Northern Ireland should ‘follow UK law and UK standards for trade within the UK and, for trade with the EU, we follow EU law and EU standards’.

‘That’s very clear. The Protocol created a huge problem for Northern Ireland and our ability to trade with the rest of the UK,’ he added. ‘That at its heart is what needs to be resolved.’

The DUP leader said it was ‘not acceptable’ to have a situation where Northern Ireland could import goods from Great Britain and sell them as products made to UK standards, but then make the same products in Northern Ireland and be forced to make them to EU standards. 

‘The idea that all goods manufactured in Northern Ireland should align to the EU single market and its rules really inhibits our ability to trade within the UK and that’s not acceptable,’ he added.

Sir Jeffrey admitted he had yet to see the legal text of any Protocol agreement between the UK and EU, but said it was ‘possible’ that a breakthrough could emerge ‘in the next few days’.

Pressed on whether Brussels would ever agree to the DUP’s demands, Sir Jeffrey pointed out how he was previously told the EU would never renegotiate the Protocol. 

‘I don’t subscribe to the never ever view,’ he added.

ERG chairman Mark Francois said Tory Brexiteers would not be able to support any deal struck between Mr Sunak and Brussels until they had seen a legal text

ERG chairman Mark Francois said Tory Brexiteers would not be able to support any deal struck between Mr Sunak and Brussels until they had seen a legal text.

‘Any MP worth their salt, if they’re asked to vote on a deal, weants to be able to read it first,’ he said. ‘That’s not unreasonable.

‘We too would be very keen to read the legal text and our Star Chamber of lawyers, under Sir Bill Cash’s chairmanship, will put it through pretty close scrutiny.

‘And then when we’ve had a chance to do that we can given you an opinion too.

‘But I think it’s not unreasonable to point out, you can’t ask for the degree of support or otherwise for a deal or against a deal, until you can’t actually ask what the deal is.’

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and the EU’s Maros Sefcovic had earlier held talks via video link.

Mr Cleverly said the trio ‘remain laser-focussed on finding a solution that works for the people of Northern Ireland’ and would speak again soon.

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