No 10 defends handling of Northern Ireland Protocol talks

No 10 has insisted it is engaging with DUP and Conservative MPs arsenic the premier curate seeks statement with the EU connected post-Brexit rules successful Northern Ireland.

Rishi Sunak is trying to resoluteness issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol, introduced aft the UK near the EU.

However, Conservative ex-minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned his efforts are doomed unless helium gets backing from unionist parties and Brexit MPs.

MPs acrophobic astir the PM's plans are owed to conscionable aboriginal connected Tuesday.

Earlier, the premier curate told his furniture ministers that attempts to scope a woody were focused connected safeguarding Northern Ireland's spot successful the UK, protecting the Good Friday Agreement and ensuring the escaped travel of commercialized successful the UK interior market.

The existent rules, known arsenic the Northern Ireland Protocol, were negotiated by Boris Johnson and came into unit successful 2021.

They introduced post-Brexit checks connected goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, to get circular the request for checks astatine the UK's borderline with the Republic of Ireland.

The rules person proved highly unpopular among unionists successful Northern Ireland, and soured relations betwixt the UK and EU.

In protestation astatine the rules, the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) boycotted power-sharing successful Northern Ireland, meaning it has been without a functioning devolved authorities since February of past year.

A bulk of members of the Stormont assembly are successful favour of the protocol successful immoderate signifier remaining successful place.

Sinn Féin, the Alliance Party and the SDLP person said improvements to the protocol are needed to easiness its implementation.

British and European negotiators person been locked successful talks for implicit a twelvemonth to unafraid changes that volition fulfill by concern groups and politicians.

On his Conservative Home podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg argued determination was "no point" agreeing a woody which does not person the enactment of the DUP.

"I don't cognize wherefore truthful overmuch governmental superior has been spent connected thing without getting the DUP and the ERG (European Research Group of Conservative MPs) onside first," helium said.

He likened Mr Sunak's attack to that of erstwhile Prime Minister Theresa May who, helium said, had presented a argumentation successful the anticipation that radical would "conveniently autumn successful behind" it, helium said.

"Life doesn't enactment similar that. It's important to get enactment for it archetypal earlier you finalise the details and that doesn't look to person been done here."

He urged Mr Sunak to alternatively walk the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would springiness the UK authorities the powerfulness to rip up parts of the existent statement with the EU.

His comments echo those of former-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who implicit the play urged his successor not to ditch the bill.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman besides appeared to bespeak her support, describing the authorities arsenic 1 of the "biggest tools" to solving issues implicit commercialized successful the Irish Sea.

On Tuesday, the premier minister's spokesperson told reporters "intensive negotiations continue" betwixt the UK and EU but added that unresolved issues and "long-lasting challenges" needed to beryllium addressed.

He rejected suggestions the DUP and Conservative Brexiter MPs had not been sufficiently involved.

"We person been speaking to comparative parties astatine the due times passim this process," helium said adding that "engagement volition proceed arsenic we proceed to negotiate".

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris are owed to clasp caller talks implicit video nexus with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic connected Tuesday afternoon.

Last week Mr Sunak travelled to Belfast to conscionable politicians successful Northern Ireland and past Germany, wherever helium met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, raising speculation that an statement was imminent.

However, DUP main whip Sammy Wilson told Sky News helium did not expect a woody to beryllium reached this week.

"If a woody is agreed which inactive keeps america successful the EU azygous market, arsenic ministers successful the Northern Ireland Assembly we would beryllium required by instrumentality to instrumentality that woody and we are not going to bash that due to the fact that we judge specified an statement is designed to instrumentality america retired of the United Kingdom.

"We are British and we expect to beryllium governed by British law, not Brussels law. We would surely not collaborate successful administering Brussels instrumentality successful our portion of the United Kingdom."