DUP’s Ian Paisley to vote against Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit plan | Brexit

Democratic Unionist party lead MP Ian Paisley has confirmed he will vote against Rishi Sunak’s revised plan for post-Brexit trade deals in Northern Ireland, saying he expects his party colleagues follow suit.

Speaking to the News Letter newspaper, the MP for North Antrim said: ‘I vote emphatically against, and I would be surprised if my colleagues do not join me.’

Paisley had previously said he did not believe the plan, sealed last month by Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, met the DUP’s seven tests of maintaining Northern Ireland’s status. in the UK internal market, and he was expected to vote against.

But his comments bolster expectations that the wider DUP will also oppose the plan when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, potentially meaning more strongly pro-Brexit Tory MPs could rebel .

The DUP and the European Research Group (ERG), which represents Brexit hardliners, have yet to deliver a formal verdict pending review of the full legal text of the Windsor framework, as reported. officially called.

Paisley said his review of the entire deal reinforced his initial view of the plan and his failure to address the DUP’s concerns: “Having taken the time to study it and at least a legal opinion on it, and reviewed the details, and also having had conversations and messages sent and forwarded to the Secretary of State, I am still of that opinion – that this does not relate to any of our seven tests.

Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the DUP, said during a visit to Washington DC a few days ago: “Based on my current assessment, there remain key areas of concern that require further clarification, reworking and change. , as well as consideration of additional legal text.

After a senior DUP source told the Sunday Telegraph the party would likely vote against the government on Wednesday, several Tory MPs privately suggested they might follow suit.

Concerns have since grown among Tory whips that some Tory MPs could also vote against or abstain – even though Labor backing ensures the motion will pass.

Anger is also mounting within the ERG over ministers using a vote on a statutory instrument to implement the ‘Stormont Brake’, which limits the imposition of new EU regulations in Northern Ireland, as a proxy for MPs have a say in the whole agreement.

Former Deputy Leader of the Commons Peter Bone said he was ‘very unhappy’ that the vote on statutes was being treated as a chance for MPs to have a say in the Windsor framework.

“I haven’t received a reasonable explanation as to why it’s being done this way,” he said.