A brewing backbench rebellion by eurosceptic Tory MPs has delayed for now the British government’s plan to push through a deal with the European Union on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sources in Brussels and Dublin still expect a deal to be concluded, though they acknowledged that prime minister Rishi Sunak faces a battle to get the agreement of his party. Meanwhile the DUP continues to reserve its position until the deal in concluded.
Mr Sunak is expected to face questions on the issue on Wednesday in the House of Commons after a succession of his own MPs warned him against giving too much ground to the EU over the issue of European courts retaining some jurisdiction over trade disputes in the North.
Mr Sunak must also face down pressure from within his own cabinet over his plan to drop the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill if he finalises a deal with the EU. The bill, which was introduced under one of Mr Sunak’s predecessors Boris Johnson, would give Britain legal powers to unilaterally disapply aspects of the current protocol agreement. It is currently stalled in the House of Lords.
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Senior Tories such as home secretary Suella Braverman have suggested that Mr Sunak should not drop the bill, which is seen as a way of maintaining leverage over the EU in talks. However, the former justice secretary under Mr Johnson, Robert Buckland, wrote on Wednesday that the bill is “a dead letter” and is no longer needed.
Earlier on Tuesday Mr Sunak told a meeting of the British cabinet that “intensive” negotiations were ongoing with the EU over “the way the protocol was being enforced”, a clear signal to members of his own party that they should not expect any prospective deal to rewrite aspects of the treaty itself.
In Brussels, European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic suggested that a deal was close but not yet concluded. “We are not there yet. We can clearly see the finishing line, but in such a negotiation being close doesn’t mean being done.”
Asked whether an agreement could still be struck if the British government goes ahead with paused legislation that would grant ministers the power to unilaterally override the international agreement, Mr Sefcovic said that joint action was key. “Joint solutions will be the best answer to all the unintended consequences of the protocol.”
He suggested that a deal would bring economic opportunity for the North due to the access offered to businesses to both the UK and EU internal markets. “I hope with resolving all these problems we are currently negotiating upon with our UK partners we can create conditions that the next 25 years of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement will be not only about the peace but also about prosperity.”
Mr Sefcovic held a video conference with British foreign secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to take stock of the talks on Tuesday. Discussions continue “at high intensity”, he said following the discussion. The three are expected to meet physically later this week.
On a visit to Brussels, Peter Burke, the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, urged negotiators not to let slip the chance to resolve their differences. “This is a very narrow window of opportunity. It’s very important that we grasp it, that we grasp it for the people of Northern Ireland.”
Two senior Government figures in Dublin said they expected that the British government would proceed with the agreement, though they expressed little confidence that the coming days would be straightforward.
