Home Secretary Suella Braverman indicated she was ready to resign in protest at Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal if he "sold out" to the EU.
Speaking exclusively to GB News’ Business and Economics Editor Liam Halligan, Braverman said Brexit talks must not result in the EU gaining authority on UK trade.
Her comments come amid suggestions some ministers may walk away should they conclude Sunak has ceded too much control to secure a deal with Brussels.
In an interview with GB News, she said: “I’ve taken a very forthright position in the past because I’ve found the terms of previous agreements intolerable.
“I don’t support selling out on Northern Ireland and allowing the EU a foothold in the United Kingdom.
“It’s absolutely vital we safeguard what we’ve gained from the Brexit vote, that we go forward as a United Kingdom where the integrity of our Union is safeguard and we properly take back control.
“I know the Prime Minister shares that objective.”
The Home Secretary said legislation going through Parliament to enable minister unilaterally to override the protocol is an “important tool” in negotiations with the EU, and denied Sunak had abandoned it.
Suella Braverman has hinted at a potential resignation should a Brexit 'sell out' take place
Image: GB News
“That’s not my perception. I know that the Prime Minister is absolutely committed to resolving this issue, regardless of the implications,” she said.
Braverman’s comments follow an indication from Downing Street that the Government would not drop the Protocol Bill, which is currently paused in the House of Lords, unless there was a new agreement with the EU.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary told reporters: “It is a longstanding position of the Government that we want to resolve the issues in partnership with the EU by negotiation rather than legislate domestically.
Suella Braverman spoke to GB News' Liam Halligan in an exclusive interview
Image: GB News
“In the absence of that negotiated solution, the Protocol Bill is an important piece of legislation to ensure we safeguard Northern Ireland’s position in the Union.”
Braverman added the Government is committed to working with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as it continues to boycott the Stormont Assembly in a bid to force through a fundamental Protocol change.
“We have always worked very closely with the DUP. They are unionists. They speak for a significant portion of the community in Northern Ireland and they need to be around the table,” she said.
“Ultimately Stormont will only function if the DUP supports any proposal.”