Labour backs Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland deal but DUP concerns remain

Keir Starmer confirmed on Monday evening that Labour would support and vote for Rishi Sunak’s deal to end the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol. The row has seen months of political uncertainty in the region, with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocking the restoration of power sharing in the Northern Ireland assembly since May in opposition to the Irish Sea border checks imposed as part of the post-Brexit trading arrangement. The Prime Minister said on Monday a “decisive breakthrough” had been made in talks on the protocol and announced a new ‘Windsor framework’. Key changes include the creation of a green lane for goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland and a separate red lane for goods that may move onto the EU and the establishment of a ‘Stormont brake’ that will allow the Northern Ireland assembly to object to new EU rules.

The Labour leader acknowledged that the deal is “not perfect” but said he had been clear that, “if the Prime Minister were to get an agreement with the EU and if that agreement is in the interests of this country and Northern Ireland”, the opposition would support it. “We will stick to our word,” Starmer told MPs last night, adding that the agreement will allow the UK “to move forward as a country, rather than be locked in endless disputes with our allies”. But Starmer stressed that the deal “comes with trade-offs” and warned Sunak not to follow the example of his predecessor as Prime Minister Boris Johnson in further negotiations: “Do not pretend the deal is something it is not. Where there are trade-offs to be made, argue the case for them. Treat unionists with the respect of frank honesty, not the contempt of bluster.”

The dispute is not yet resolved, and as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News today, Sunak has a “big political challenge ahead”. While key Brexiteers in the Conservative Party have expressed support for Sunak’s deal, the DUP’s backing remains uncertain. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, the party’s leader Jeffrey Donaldson said “progress has been made” but added that he and his colleagues “continue to have some concerns”. He said the DUP would “examine the legal text” and “come to a decision”, telling listeners: “We are reasonable people, but we want to ensure that what the Prime Minister has said is matched by what is actually in the agreement itself.” DUP MPs including Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley Jr gave an indication during yesterday’s debate of the tensions that still remain from the party’s perspective.

It was announced on Monday that Betty Boothroyd, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, had passed away at the age of 93. Keir Starmer paid tribute to the former Labour MP, who became a crossbench peer in 2001, describing her as an “incredible and inspirational woman” who was “at the forefront of a generation that smashed the glass ceiling for female politicians”. Current Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said of Boothroyd: “She stuck by the rules, had a no-nonsense style, but any reprimands she did issue were done with good humour and charm. Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.” Our full obituary can be found here. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.