Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged his MPs not to create “another Westminster drama” as he sought to win their support for his new Brexit deal. He told backbench Tories to give the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) the “time and space” to consider the agreement, which aims to address issues with post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The DUP’s support is key to restoring Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, which has been boycotting Stormont and preventing the devolved government from functioning due to its concerns over the current arrangements. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the new deal goes “some way” to addressing his party’s concerns but some issues remain. He said the party will take time to study the details and come to a “collective decision”.
Meanwhile, the European Research Group (ERG) of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, which heard from Sir Jeffrey at a meeting on Tuesday, have commissioned what they have called a “star chamber” of lawyers to scrutinise the deal. ERG chairman Mark Francois said it could take about a fortnight or even longer for the group’s “legal eagles” to go through it “with an extremely fine tooth comb”. He added that it was “sensible” for the Prime Minister to give the DUP time.
After visiting Northern Ireland to promote his deal, Mr Sunak addressed the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers. He is understood to have told MPs he had “spent a lot of time” with Sir Jeffrey and urged them to give him and the DUP time and space. The response from Tory MPs has been broadly positive, with one ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying “he did a good job” and another Brexiteer adding that the PM’s words had gone down very well.
Another Tory MP, who had previously been sceptical that Mr Sunak could reach an acceptable deal, said they should probably “eat humble pie” as it looked like the prime minister had done it. They said negotiators had “squared the circle” and the “Stormont brake” mechanism, which aims to give the Northern Ireland Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply, was a creative solution that should be welcomed.
Sinn Féin, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, has urged the DUP to return to the devolved government. The nationalist party has welcomed the Windsor Framework, although it said it still needed to examine the details. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged MPs not to create any unnecessary drama as he seeks their support for his new Brexit deal with the EU. He asked backbench Tories to give the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) time and space to consider the agreement, which is designed to address issues with post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The DUP’s backing is essential for restoring Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, which has been boycotting Stormont and preventing the devolved government from functioning due to its worries over current arrangements. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the new deal goes some way towards addressing his party’s concerns but some issues remain. He said they will take time to study the details and come to a collective decision.
The European Research Group (ERG) of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, which heard from Sir Jeffrey at a meeting on Tuesday, have commissioned what they have called a “star chamber” of lawyers to scrutinise the deal. ERG chairman Mark Francois said it could take about a fortnight or even longer for their legal experts to go through it thoroughly. He added that it was sensible for the Prime Minister to give the DUP time.
Mr Sunak addressed the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers after visiting Northern Ireland to promote his deal. He is believed to have told MPs he had spent a lot of time with Sir Jeffrey and urged them to give him and the DUP time and space. The response from Tory MPs has been generally positive, with one ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying “he did a good job” and another Brexiteer adding that the PM’s words had gone down very well.
Another Tory MP, who had previously been sceptical that Mr Sunak could reach an acceptable deal, said they should probably “eat humble pie” as it looked like the prime minister had done it. They said negotiators had “squared the circle” and the “Stormont brake” mechanism, which aims to give the Northern Ireland Assembly more say on how EU laws apply, was a creative solution that should be welcomed.
Sinn Féin, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, has urged the DUP to return to the devolved government. The nationalist party has welcomed the Windsor Framework, although it said it still needs to examine the details.