THE TORIES are facing a potential split over the deal designed to resolve protracted wrangling over the protocol, with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly ready to clash with Rishi Sunak.
Prime Minister Sunak faced calls from within his own party to ensure eurosceptics and the DUP were "onside" ahead of signing off any agreement with Brussels.
Differences of opinion among Conservatives were becoming increasingly apparent as EU Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic said on Tuesday he could “see the finishing line” for the negotiations.
But amid growing expectation of an agreement there were warnings of ministerial resignations by senior Tories, with Jacob Rees-Mogg accusing his party leader of imitating Theresa May's doomed Brexit strategy.
The former chair of the ERG joined Boris Johnson in urging Mr Sunak to press ahead with the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, effectively ripping up parts of the agreement with the EU.
According to the The Times, Johnson has privately claimed Sunak's negotiating strategy with the EU is "wholly irrational" and is contemplating coming out publicly against the deal especially if he felt it took Britain towards closer alignment with the EU.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said yesterday that he is encouraged by the progress that has been made.
However, the DUP leader said that Brussels needed to accept that goods traded within Northern Ireland were subject to UK laws and standards, and not those of the EU, if there was to be an agreement his party could support.
“It is possible given the level of progress that has been made and the principles that have already, I’m told, been agreed the outstanding issues could be resolved within the next few days,” he said.
“In judging the progress I believe has been made so far, I think lines have been crossed. Therefore, that suggests to me there is the potential to resolve this issue.
“We can’t have a situation where business in Northern Ireland are able to bring goods in from Great Britain and sell them as UK standard products, and make the same product themselves in Northern Ireland but they are required to make them to EU standards. That is not acceptable.”
Dissent in the Tory ranks came as Alliance leader Naomi Long warned that a deal designed solely to appease the DUP was doomed to fail.
"Whether the DUP accept the deal or not is in some way secondary, because what I wouldn't want is a deal that is entirely designed to placate the DUP but ends up failing the test for business, ends up failing the test in terms of access to both markets, and ends up failing the test in terms of the bureaucracy, simply because we're all chasing rainbows around the European Court of Justice and its jurisdiction," she told The Irish News.
"I think we need to focus on those practical issues, make sure that business is satisfied with the deal, that it is a manageable protocol and that we can then move on."
Veterans’ minister Johnny Mercer said parties in Northern Ireland needed to “conduct themselves in good faith” when asked about the protocol debate which has seen Stormont suspended.
He asked whether the DUP was “letting down” people in Northern Ireland, told Times Radio: “I think people in politics have got to remember what we’re there for: we’re here to serve, it is a life of public service.
“No one party has a monopoly on what’s right for Northern Ireland.
“I think everybody needs to do their best and conduct themselves in good faith and I hope and expect the DUP are doing that, as everybody else is.”
Put to him that the DUP would be serving the public by restoring the Assembly, Mr Mercer said: “I think if you take a wage, a politician should probably turn up to work like everyone else in the country.
“That’s what I want to see happen.”
Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris joined Foreign Secretary James Cleverly for talks on Tuesday with Mr Sefcovic.
The European Commission vice-president said the discussions were continuing "at high intensity" and that there would be further engagement soon.
Mr Cleverly tweeted: "As work continues between teams, we remain laser-focussed on finding a solution that works for the people of Northern Ireland."
But progress with Brussels is being met with resistance from within the Tory ranks.
Mr Rees-Mogg questioned why "so much political capital" was being spent on brokering a new deal without ensuring the DUP and fellow Brexiteers were on board.
The long-term critic of Mr Sunak said: "There seems to me to be no point in agreeing a deal that does not restore power-sharing.
"That must be the objective – if it doesn't achieve that objective, I don't understand why the government is spending political capital on something that won't ultimately succeed."
A Downing Street spokesperson disputed the suggestion that the DUP and ERG should have been brought into discussions earlier, saying "we have been speaking to relevant parties at the appropriate times throughout this process".
Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill said the region has been in “limbo for too long”.
Speaking as teachers and health workers took part in strike action yesterday, Ms O’Neill said she wants to see the protocol talks resolved and Stormont resurrected swiftly.
Ms O’Neill, who is poised to become First Minister when Stormont returns, met with business representatives in Belfast on Tuesday.
She said they share her desire for a resolution to the protocol talks.
“They very much, like ourselves, hope to see a resolution be arrived at very quickly, I think the time for doing a deal is now and we want to see the restoration of the (Stormont) Executive in the aftermath of that,” she told reporters.
“Today’s public sector strikes show and demonstrate again that we need to have a local functioning Executive because we need to stand firm against the austerity agenda of the Tories and how that is impacting on people’s lives here.”
Asked if she was concerned about a potential stumbling block in the negotiations, Ms O’Neill said: “I want to see a resolution sooner rather than later, I think that now is the time for that to be done. We have been in this limbo period for far too long.”
Ms O’Neill added: “This has always been an issue between the UK and EU side, they’re the two negotiating partners, it’s for them to reach an agreement.
“We have made our view very clear. We know that we need to maintain the protocol and its protections, particularly for the all-island economy, protection of the Good Friday Agreement but, alongside that, we’re very relaxed and want to see those things that are working maintained, the things that need to be smoothed out, that’s also what should be achieved in these discussions.”
