Brexit: Sunak wins vote but still not out of woods as UKIP tweet is epic

Back in the Commons, the result of the Northern Ireland protocol vote has been announced. The government won by 515 votes to 29 – a majority of 486.

Assuming all or most of the eight DUP MPs voted against the government, that implies that just over 20 Tories voted against the government. 

Christopher Hope listed the 22 people who voted against the Windsor Agreement.

The 22 Conservative MPs who voted against the Windsor Agreement👇
A Afriyie
J Berry
P Bone
B Cash
C Chope
S Clarke
R Drax
J Duddridge
I Duncan Smith
M Francois
J Gullis
A Holloway
A Jenkyns
B Johnson
D Jones
Danny Kruger
C Mackinlay
M Offord
P Patel
J Redwood
J Rees-Mogg
L Truss

— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) March 22, 2023

48 abstained so a big win for Sunak might not be as obvious as it looks.

Beth Rigby tweeted: “Told 22 Tories voted against Windsor Agreement and 48 abstained. In total then 70 MPs who didn’t support the Stormont Brake (think that about a third of Tory backbenches once remove payroll) >>> very uncomfortable for PM.”

NEW: Told 22 Tories voted against Windsor Agreement and 48 abstained. In total then 70 MPs who didn’t support the Stormont Brake (think that about a third of Tory backbenches once remove payroll) >>> very uncomfortable for PM

— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) March 22, 2023

Andrea Leadsom is a fan of it, which is a bit weird.

As this tweeter wrote: “Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom praising the Windsor Agreement for giving Northern Ireland access to both the EU Single Market and the UK Market will get a shock when she finds out Brexit stopped Britain having the same.”

Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom praising the Windsor Agreement for giving Northern Ireland access to both the EU Single Market and the UK Market will get a shock when she finds out Brexit stopped Britain having the same 🙄

— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@mrdavemacleod) March 22, 2023

Ste

Steve Baker on Boris Johnson not voting for the Windsor framework.

"He can be remembered for the great acts of statecraft that he achieved or he can risk looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage.. " pic.twitter.com/fR5fY8hOen

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) March 22, 2023

Trouble ahead?

Is there still trouble ahead?

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he cannot commit his party “will restore the political institutions” in Northern Ireland as a result of the deal.

Tory former minister Sir John Redwood said: “What is the point of rushing through a vote on this protocol when it is the protocol and the agreement behind it that prevents Stormont meeting, which means the protocol would never be used?”

Also, Stella Creasy tweeted: “Secretary of State just tried to tell me EU law bill won’t undermine the Windsor Agreement – that’s not what representatives of Europe think. The Secretary of State either not being open about risks of trade war and to NI deal or doesn’t understand his governments bill.”

Secretary of State just tried to tell me EU law bill won’t undermine the Windsor Agreement – that’s not what representatives of Europe think. The Secretary of State either not being open about risks of trade war and to NI deal or doesn’t understand his governments bill. pic.twitter.com/CJZJYb3fS5

— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) March 22, 2023

However, Jacob Rees-Mogg said he wouldn’t support the deal, but as you can see maybe Mogg is confused.

Peter Stefanovic tweeted: “Jacob Rees-Mogg saying he will not find it possible to support the Government’ in todays vote on Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal This is an IMPROVED version of Johnsons deal which he championed & sold to the public & Parliament as “a negotiating triumph””

Jacob Rees-Mogg saying he will not find it possible to support the Government' in todays vote on Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal

This is an IMPROVED version of Johnsons deal which he championed & sold to the public & Parliament as “a negotiating triumph” https://t.co/62nEkdQIj5

— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) March 22, 2023

But we will leave the last word to UKIP’s Neil Hamilton, who is literally a keyboard warrior.

Statement from #UKIP leader on Sunak’s #Brexit betrayal. #WindsorAgreement pic.twitter.com/UcA9cIpghZ

— UK Independence Party (@UKIP) March 21, 2023