The DUP is preparing to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal with the EU in Wednesday’s crucial vote in the House of Commons, The Telegraph understands.
The Unionist party’s decision is likely to embolden Tory Eurosceptics, who are also preparing to reject the Prime Minister’s deal.
MPs debate ‘Stormont Brake’ on Wednesday – a key measure in the Windsor Framework that Mr Sunak was working with the EU to improve the functioning of the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol.
Under the brakes, members of the Northern Ireland Assembly could block EU regulations, but only in certain circumstances and if the EU were able to take remedial action.
A legislative instrument to implement the mechanism will be voted on Wednesday, but the government has said it will be interpreted as a crucial verdict on the overall deal.
Ministers had hoped the DUP would not actively oppose the deal, paving the way for the party to return to the Stormont Assembly, which it boycotted more than a year in protest against the protocol.
However, a senior DUP source told The Telegraph: “I would fully expect that we will vote against this legislative instrument.”
The source said there were “fundamental issues remaining” with the Windsor Framework, citing comments from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who said last week there were “key areas of concern” that “needed further clarification, revision and change”. “.
The source also criticized Mr Sunak’s choice of parliamentary tactics.
They said, “You can’t take a portion [the Windsor Agreement] and leave all the rest aside, especially when at the same time informing that this would be taken as one signal for overall agreementwhich of course would be from the government.
“The whole tactic stinks of partisan games.
“This vote has been brought forward without providing the necessary information and text and details. It is just a blatant attempt to enforce this without proper scrutiny, debate or voting.”
Concern about the perceived refusal to share information is shared by the European Research Group of Tory MPs.
The Eurosceptic group is yet to announce its position on the Windsor framework, but a number of its members are expected to vote against the government or abstain.
Mr Sunak has insisted the scope of EU law applicable to Northern Ireland has been reduced to 3 per cent, scrapping 1,700 pages of law. But several members of the ERG have made parliamentary questions about which laws make up the 3 percent and say they have not received satisfactory answers.
“We want a list of the remaining laws and a full list of the 1,700 pages of law that have been swept away,” one MP said. “The only answers we got were nonsensical.”
Another complained that he felt “rushed.” make a decision by Wednesday’s voteadding: “The government owes us a lot of information. She won’t even tell us what EU laws apply in Northern Ireland. The DUP is furious, it fails its tests. They’re evil for the same reasons we are.”
Several members of the ERG said they had not yet decided how they would vote, adding that they were awaiting the results of their “star chamber” of lawyers as well as the DUP’s formal ruling, both of which are expected in the next few days published.
Particular attention is also paid to Boris Johnson. Earlier this month, the former prime minister said he would find it “very difficult” to vote for the deal.
Labor have said they will back the deal, meaning it is almost certain it will pass. However, a revolt by the DUP and the Brexiteer Tories could undermine the credibility of the deal and Strike a blow at Mr. Sunak’s authority.
A Government spokesman said: “On Wednesday Parliament will vote on the legislative instrument for the Stormont Brake – the most significant part of the Windsor Framework.
“The brake puts power back in the hands of Stormont and Westminster, rectifies the democratic deficit and restores balance to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.”
Source : news.yahoo.com