Brexit: Windsor framework could end up banished like Harry & Meghan

DUP MP Ian Paisley has said he will vote against Rishi Sunak’s landmark Windsor framework, the Brexit agreement with EU.

Paisley also expects his party colleagues to do the same, leaving the deal in peril.

It seems another Windsor agreement is going to end badly, and some might see echoes with the Windsor’s agreement with Harry and Meghan that never worked out.

Meeting

DUP MPs are meeting today, reportedly to discuss how they will vote when the Commons debates Sunak’s Northern Ireland protocol deal this week.

In an interview with the News Letter in Belfast, he said: “I am categorically voting against, and I would be surprised if my colleagues do not join me.

“My initial reaction to the Windsor Framework was that I didn’t think it cut the mustard in terms of addressing our seven key tests (on restoring NI’s place within the UK internal market).

“After taking time to study it and a least one legal opinion on it, and going through the details, and also having conversations and messages back and forward to the secretary of state, I am still of that opinion – that it doesn’t address any of our seven tests.

It is the old substance dressed up in a new package with a ribbon around it, but it hasn’t actually changed, or addressed the fundamental issue of Northern Ireland trade being disrupted in our internal UK market.”

DUP will vote unanimously on Weds against PM’s reworking of the NI Protocol. Big disappointment to ⁦@RishiSunak⁩. No chance of NI executive taking office any time soon. Constitutional mess in Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/irrVOLt4Zm

— Robert Peston (@Peston) March 20, 2023

Ribbon

Mr Paisley said of Sunak compromise was the “same old substance dressed up in a new package with a ribbon around it”, adding: “It hasn’t actually changed, or addressed the fundamental issue of Northern Ireland trade being disrupted in our internal UK market.”

he ERG is expected to give the deal a thumbs down, according to reports. The Tory hardliners will dismisses the so-called Stormont brake as “unusable”, according to The Times 

Brexit deal will go ahead with or without support of DUP, promises Downing Street. Rishi Sunak confident the bill will get through Parliament as it ‘removes the threat of any ratchet of EU law’

Reactions

1.

No Stormont, no Windsor framework.

— Richard Rose 🇺🇦🇪🇺 🇮🇪 3.5% (@RichardRose01) March 20, 2023

2.

There’s a surprise. If only there’d been a system in place whether checks weren’t necessary? A market singularly open for goods, people, capital & services, with a union of customs where we had a say in how it operated?

— David C Scott 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🇩🇪🇪🇺 UTI (@davidchscott) March 20, 2023

3.

Square peg meets round hole.
Thanks tories.

— Stephen (@Shteeeevo) March 20, 2023

4.

https://twitter.com/Daaemo/status/1637805892107214848

5.

As @gavinesler pointed out on todays @bunker_pod, the DUP are now in the truly unique position of claiming to support Brexit, while having voted against every single permutation of the Brexit deal. https://t.co/bxwvN2Ip6X

— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) March 20, 2023

Or indeed this?

https://t.co/MFvLu0Ea2E

— ScottishPanda (@PandaScottish) March 20, 2023

Related: Mogg told some hard home truths on Brexit – watch in disbelief what comes next