More than 100 Tory MPs could rebel over the Northern Ireland protocol deal, Rishi Sunak has been warned.
Pressure is growing on the Prime Minister as a deal to break the post-Brexit deadlock in Northern Ireland looms.
Hopes of an agreement timetable being announced on Monday and a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday are at risk of sliding away due to potential backlash from the Democratic Unionist party and Conservative backbenchers.
One insider said, “We’re ready to go,” but claimed that “nervousness” about opposition was to blame for the hold-up.
Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Micheál Martin was set to be at the European Commission for a meeting of the foreign affairs council ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Boris Johnson has called on Rishi Sunak to take a 'tougher' stance on Brussels
Jonathan Brady
Sunak faced criticism on Sunday over details leaking out about compromises made by the UK as the EU demands that the Prime Minister scraps a controversial bill which discards some Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson launched a major intervention calling for Sunak to take a tougher line with Brussels.
A source close to him said he believed “it would be a great mistake” to drop the legislation and signalled that it should be maintained as leverage over the EU.
James Duddridge, a former Brexit minister said talk of the European court of justice maintaining a role would be a “wedge” to completing Brexit.
“It won’t just be the so-called ‘Spartans’,” he told Sky News.
“There will be a large number of Brexiters, possibly the majority of the parliamentary party, and potentially running into treble figures.”
David Frost, the UK’s former chief Brexit negotiator, added there was “no deadline” for talks on the protocol.
He said Sunak should “push on with the protocol bill, so that our negotiators are in the strongest possible position”.
Simon Clarke, the former levelling-up secretary, suggested that he would not support “anything that keeps Northern Ireland subject to EU law or in the single market.”
However, Johnson also faced backlash for his Brexit intervention as Penny Mordaunt, the Commons leader, claimed it was “not entirely unhelpful”.
Naomi Long, leader of the Alliance party added: “He created this mess – he needs to sit this one out.”
The leader of the DUP met with Rishi Sunak in Belfast on Friday
Liam McBurney
Following Sunak’s meeting in Belfast on Friday, the DUP warned that the plan proposed “currently falls short of what would be acceptable”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said he is willing to put "party politics to one side" to vote with the Government on the Northern Ireland deal.
He said this morning: "I think there's a real opportunity now with the protocols, a window of opportunity to move forward, and the UK and the EU have obviously edged closer together.
"The question now is whether the Prime Minister is strong enough to get it through his own backbenchers. And what I've said is, on Northern Ireland, the national interest comes first.
"So we will put party politics to one side, we will vote with the Government if there's a deal to vote for and so the Prime Minister doesn't have to rely on his backbenchers.
"We in the Labour Party are putting country first and party second and I'm inviting the Prime Minister to do the same thing."
