Democratic Unionist Party MPs will back Boris Johnson’s Queen’s Speech despite their anger over his Brexit deal.
A DUP source confirmed its MPs would back the prime minister’s legislative agenda, despite earlier suggestions the party’s anger over the Brexit deal could see them tear up their confidence and supply deal with the Tories.
The backing of the party’s 10 MPs gives Johnson a much better chance of getting his Queen’s Speech through the Commons in a crunch Thursday vote.
And the PM is likely to welcome the DUP’s backing at a time when relations with the Northern Irish party have nearly reached breaking point.
On Tuesday, the DUP’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said he “nearly choked” at Johnson’s claims about the effect of the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.
And Wilson on Wednesday signalled that his party would go on opposing the deal as it stands, having tabled amendments which would effectively wreck the withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) that forms the centrepiece of the Queen’s Speech.
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The proposed withdrawal treaty would see Northern Ireland follow European single market rules on goods and act as an entry point to the EU customs union, meaning checks would apply between the province and the rest of the UK.
Johnson made the concessions to get rid of the old Irish backstop negotiated by Theresa May.
But he has been accused of abandoning commitments to his former DUP allies to ensure there is no trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, while maintaining an invisible border with the Republic of Ireland.
Responding, the DUP has tabled amendments to the WAB, which puts the deal into law, to ensure companies do not have to make customs declarations on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
It also wants to ensure unionists have a veto on the arrangements for Northern Ireland coming into force.
Johnson initially proposed this but conceded to EU demands that a simple majority of Northern Irish politicians could approve the deal.
But the DUP argues this would breach the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland by ensuring power is shared equally between unionists and nationalists.
Wilson has described the deal as “toxic” and “in direct contravention” of the peace accord.
If the amendments pass, Johnson’s deal will effectively be wrecked as he would be forced to go back and renegotiate it with the EU.