MPs threatening to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland Protocol solution have been compared to Japanese soldiers who can’t accept the war is over by one Tory politician.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt confirmed this week that MPs will be asked to approve a statutory instrument relating to the Stormont brake section of the Windsor Framework on Wednesday March 22nd.
It represents the first Commons test for the Prime Minister’s deal with the EU.
The agreement seeks to reduce the volume of Brexit red tape on the movement of GB goods bound for Northern Ireland that was created by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
It introduces the so-called Stormont brake mechanism that enables a minority of Stormont MLAs to formally flag concerns about the imposition of new EU laws in Northern Ireland.
The process could ultimately lead to the UK Government vetoing their introduction.
ERG
The prime minister will be paying close attention to the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, which has commissioned a so-called “star chamber” of experts to consider the deal before it decides how to vote.
Mark Francois, the group’s chairman, said: “We are still awaiting the outcome of the star chamber’s detailed legal audit of the Windsor Framework, which of course includes the Stormont brake.
“We now hope to see this completed before next Wednesday and members of the group will no doubt pay close attention to the star chamber’s conclusions, prior to any vote.”
According to TalkTv, Downing Street is now “confident” a maximum of only 20 MPs could rebel against the Brexit deal when it is put to the House of Commons next week.
Few ‘Japanese soldiers’
Asked if the 20 MP figure sounded right, Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke told the broadcaster: “I think they are roughly about right. I think there is a hardcore which won’t accept any compromise at all but then there is no way out of the fact you want to honour the Good Friday Agreement.
“I think the prime minister has done an outstanding job with this agreement. I think it was something a lot of people didn’t think we would get there”.
He added: “The public want this over and done with, parliament wants this over and done with. I think there is a few Japanese soldiers not believing the war is over but I think they are very, very few now”.
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