David Lidington has insisted the British government has “no plans” to hand the Republic of Ireland more powers over Northern Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
DUP MP Ian Paisley accused Michael Gove of suggesting that would be the outcome if the UK left the EU without a deal.
Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Paisley told Lidington said this was “insulting” to DUP MPs who “keep his party in power”.
Lidington, the de facto deputy prime minister, said there “are absolutely no plans at all to transfer additional powers” to Dublin.
“The government position has been absolutely consistent on this, from the prime minister down, that we stand by every aspect of the three-stranded process embodied in the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.”
He told Paisley he would ask Gove, the environment secretary, if he “needs to make any further comment”.
The devolved government in Northern Ireland collapsed in 2017.
Gove told MPs yesterday there would be “particular pressures on Northern Ireland” if the UK left the EU without a deal.
“If the House voted for no-deal, we would have to start formal engagement with the Irish government about further arrangements for providing strengthened decision-making in the event of that outcome,” he said.
The environment secretary also said if there was a no-deal Brexit, the UK might have to take the “grave step” of imposing direct rule on Northern Ireland from London.