Sunak pauses Northern Ireland Protocol deal in backlash from senior Tories and DUP

British Prime Minister tries to step lightly along rocky political path

Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, is one of the politicians British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must mollify. AFP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure from Conservative party backbenchers not to concede too much ground to the European Union in any deal on the Northern Ireland protocol.

Talks between Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, and the European Commission's Maros Sefcovic by video on Monday led to speculation that a resolution to the issues with the protocol was close.

Ireland's Deputy Premier, Micheal Martin, has expressed hope that a deal can be reached on the post-Brexit trading protocol in Northern Ireland, but said he could not be certain that would happen.

Mr Martin warned against playing politics with the future of Northern Ireland and said that any negotiated outcome between the EU and the UK would “transcend” anything else.

He said on Monday that “people had legitimate concerns around the operation of the protocol”. Mr Martin, who met Mr Sefcovic on Sunday night, said negotiations were “very challenging” for both sides.

He said there was “a very sincere and substantial attempt to resolve those concerns by the UK negotiating team with the EU negotiating team. I think we should allow that to come to realisation and fruition in the coming while and we should then focus on the needs of the people.”

Micheal Martin, Ireland's foreign minister, during a foreign affairs council at the European Union (EU) Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Monday. Photo: Bloomberg

Mr Martin said he would not be drawn on details when asked for his response to calls from Eurosceptic Conservative MPs for the UK government to proceed with stalled legislation that would empower ministers to unilaterally scrap the protocol.

The DUP, a British unionist party in Northern Ireland, is against any deal that might lead to a divergence from UK law or EU single market rules.

There is increasing pressure on Mr Sunak from senior colleagues to not make a Brexit deal with the EU that the DUP would reject.

If he were to agree a deal without DUP approval, it could harm efforts to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

Downing Street denied suggestions the prime minister had been forced to delay an announcement — which had been expected as early as this week — amid concerns of a backlash at Westminster.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to the media after his party's meeting with British prime minister Sunak in Belfast last week. Photo: EPA

Veteran Tory Eurosceptic Sir Bernard Jenkin said that any deal which did not lead to a return to power-sharing at the Stormont Assembly by the DUP — which walked out in protest at the protocol — would be “completely disastrous”.

He said “If it doesn't receive the support of both communities in Northern Ireland it is going to make things worse because it will cement in place an agreement that has destroyed power-sharing in Northern Ireland”.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has also cautioned the UK government against dropping the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

Mr Sunak has paused progress on the bill pending the outcome of the negotiations with the EU.

Hardline Brexiters in the Conservative Party may also pose a threat to any agreement.

Negotiations in Northern Ireland have a history of never getting agreed on time due to entrenched divisions and a tendency towards intransigence, particularly within unionism.