Dominic Raab gives update on Brexit
Rishi Sunak says the new Brexit deal is what’s “best for Britain” and that it “finishes the job”. The Prime Minister, who is expected to announce details of the deal as soon as today, is confident that his plan to fix the Northern Ireland protocol would ‘resolve issues – and ensure Brexit works’. Speaking to the Express.co.uk he admitted that the “stakes are high”, but expressed hope that the deal could achieve “something special” and protect the union of the United Kingdom.
Mr Sunak said the deal was not a threat to Brexit and delivers “greater sovereignty” to Northern Ireland.
His intervention comes as Tory Brexiteer MPs have publicly warned him not to emulate Theresa May’s Chequers agreement in 2018 which led to the collapse of her government with unacceptable compromises to the EU.
But the Prime Minister has been boosted by an exclusive poll for the Daily Express from Techne UK which reveals 49 percent to 31 percent support him not walking away from talks with the EU, including a majority of Conservative and Leave voters to express an opinion.
Members of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteer MPs have made it clear they will only vote for the deal if it satisfies the Democratic Unionists (DUP) led by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
But a Whitehall source close to the talks has warned that “nobody will get everything they want but everybody will get something they want” and that the government is hoping “people can grudging accept the deal”.
Rishi Sunak is still locked in talks (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have heightened expectations of a deal tomorrow by confirming they will meet.
In a joint statement, they said: “Today, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak agreed to continue their work in person towards shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
“President von der Leyen will therefore meet with the Prime Minister in the UK tomorrow.”
Ms Von der Leyen’s diary, published on the European Commission’s website, appeared to confirm the meeting with Rishi Sunak will take place in Windsor. The location was later changed to “United Kingdom” instead.
With the UK and and EU closing in on a deal, MPs are on “resignation watch” with Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt all said to be considering their positions depending on what is in the deal.
Voters back Sunak’s strategy on balance (Image: TECHNE UK)
A close ally of Ms Braverman said: “She has been getting dirty looks from Downing Street since she supported Boris over the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill last week, but she has said ‘what did they expect? They know who I am.’”
Ms Braverman quit as a Brexit minister in Mrs May’s government and was one of the so-called Brexit Spartans who held out against her compromise deal.
However, sounding positive that his deal would “get the job done”, the Prime Minister hoped that critics would accept that this “was all about the people and communities of Northern Ireland.”
He said: “If we do get there this is something that is very positive for the people of Northern Ireland,” he said, ‘this will show that Brexit truly works and will finish the job.
“This deal will work better for business and communities and get goods moving. It will resolve the issues so we can all move forward. This will give Northern Ireland control of their own destiny. This is something very positive.”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has led NI talks recently but ceded control to Downing Street (Image: GETTY)
Mr Sunak faces opposition to his plans with Boris Johnson and hardline Brexiteers maintaining that it would be a “great mistake” to drop the NI Protocol Bill which would empower the UK to unilaterally scrap parts of the treaty.
But Mr Sunak insists his sole priority is to ensure there is a deal in place that ‘works for all’. “This is not about me,” he said, “or anyone else, it is just about the best deal for Britain. Express readers care greatly about the union, and this will strengthen it.”
Meanwhile, a source close to the talks confirmed that a deal is likely to be published in the next 48 hours. The source warned: “Nobody will get everything they want but everybody will get something. The issue will be whether it is enough for people to grudgingly accept it or not.”
In response to claims that there are splits in the Cabinet and Downing Street is “unhappy” with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s pledge to have DUP sig off, the source said: “The Foreign Secretary was asked in the interviews specifically about the DUP, but actually if he had been asked about Sinn Fein or the parcel deliverers or any of the other stakeholders then he would have given the same answer.
Ursula von der Leyen will continue talks tomorrow (Image: Getty)
“We need all the stakeholders to sign off on this which means nobody will get everything they want but everybody will get something. That also includes us (the UK Government), the EU themselves and actually the US (government) who have now got a stake in this.”
Joe Biden’s government has interfered with the process in a bid to force the UK government to accept EU demands. The US President also wants to visit Northern Ireland in April to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which ushered in peace for Northern Ireland.
But the source close to the talks was adamant: “We cannot give everybody everything on this. There is going to need to be enough for everybody, but people are also going to need to be pragmatic.”
Referring to the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteer MPs, the source noted: “Of course the usual crowd may kick off. That is always a risk.”
Suella Braverman is on a resignation watch list (Image: GETTY)
But the source also defended Mr Cleverly’s record on defending the interests of Northern Ireland and its sovereignty in the UK. “In 2016 James was one of those who signed the letter opposing David Cameron’s hybrid deal for Northern Ireland.
“He was told then that his career was finished but now he is Foreign Secretary and those who people have all gone. So, James has a record of standing on principle on all this.”
In terms of the current state of the deal it is understood that a single draft written text still does not exist. There are several groups of several pieces of paper being passed around waiting to be pieced together. There is no single text draft or otherwise.”
On timing, the source said that Monday or Tuesday “are probably” the days when a deal will be unveiled but added: “If there is even one more knot to untie, one more small problem they will take time to resolve it rather than rushing into an announcement for the sake of it.
“But expect something this week, probably.” The source also made it clear that the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is still live and could still be implemented. “It is definitely still on the table if we don’t get an agreement. The EU know this and have finally realised we are serious about it.
“At first, they thought it was not serious and the equivalent of bringing a baseball bat to a friendly chat, but they have realised we will push it through if necessary so it has served its purpose to a large degree.
Joe Biden wants to visit Northern Ireland in April (Image: Getty)
“The first line was always that it would be implemented if we could not get an agreement and that an agreement was the preferred and, let’s be honest, better long term outcome.
“But as of today, the Bill is still on the table, it has not been withdrawn.”
Earlier, Dominic Raab put Westminster on stand-by for a Northern Ireland Protocol deal to be announced after saying he expected a fresh pact to be signed off in “days, not weeks”.
The Deputy Prime Minister said there had been a “paradigm shift” in the approach from Brussels, hinting that talks had wielded changes on customs checks as well as dealing with Unionists’ concerns around Northern Ireland not having a say in EU rules that impact on the region.
Mr Raab asked on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme whether a deal could be unveiled as soon as Monday, replied: “I think there is real progress.
“We want to make sure all the pieces are in place.
“I think, hopefully, there will be good news in a matter of days, not weeks.”
The Cabinet minister later told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “If we can get this over the line — we’re on the cusp, we’ve made great progress, we’re not there yet — this would be a really important deal.”
But ERG chairman Mark Francois warned that his group would not simply roll over on the issue.
He told Sky News: “We’re not stupid; what we want is a situation where EU law is expunged from Northern Ireland so it is treated on the same basis as England, Scotland and Wales.”
Meanwhile, an ERG source added: “I think the emerging story is how the Cabinet are evidently already quite split on this (Cleverly, Braverman, Mourdant) before it has even been published! It’s rapidly turning into Chequers mark 2. What a mess!”
