LONDON – Labor leader Keir Starmer reiterated his pledge to help pass a post-Brexit Northern Ireland deal, amid growing disquiet in the prime minister’s own ranks.
is listening expected to keep Conservative Brexiters and the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (DUP) as the UK moves closer to an agreement with the EU on the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sunak had been widely expected on Tuesday to unveil a deal, but it now comes amid warnings from both groups that the prime minister would have to turn over the role of the EU’s top court in the contentious arrangement.
starrer – a major Campaigner for Britain to remain in EU but is now seeking to take his party ahead of Brexit – telling reporters on a visit to Essex that Britain and the EU now have an “opportunity to move on” after months of wrangling, adding that he is “a party leader”. Willing to do politics” aside.”
Starmer said, “We will vote with the government and so the prime minister does not have to rely on his back.”
And he added: “In the Labor Party we put country first and party second. I’m inviting the Prime Minister to do the same.”
Starmer last month vowed to provide “political cover” to pass a deal to Sunak. Sunak may not need to hold a Commons vote on a deal with the EU, although he may face mounting pressure from his own backbenchers to formally have a say.
The prime minister’s spokesman declined to go into specifics of any possible vote at Monday’s daily lobby briefing.
The spokesman told reporters, “I’m not going to speculate about what action the government may or may not take if we secure an outcome of negotiations with the EU that meet the challenges set out by the Prime Minister.” confronts.” “You will hear more from us when there is an agreement with the EU.”
The Northern Ireland Protocol area – part of the UK – maintains an alliance with the EU in key areas to avoid a hard border over a politically sensitive border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. But the UK government has been arguing since 2020 that the setup creates an unacceptable barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, while Northern Ireland’s DUP is boycotting power-sharing in the region, unless changes are sought. doesn’t get fulfilled.
Speaking on Monday morning, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said his party was no longer expecting an agreement with Sunak to be on the line this week.
And he warned that the DUP would be left out of power-sharing if Britain strikes an EU deal without his involvement. “We certainly will not cooperate with the administration of Brussels law on our part of the United Kingdom,” he said.
Annabelle Dixon contributed reporting.