We won’t be bought over Union, warns Wilson
THE DUP has rejected claims that the party would accept a cash influx for Northern Ireland in exchange for supporting Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.
DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said there was no amount of money the party would accept if it meant harming the Union.
“This is an issue of whether or not the Union is weakened.
“If the Union is weakened, no amount of money will get us to accept the deal,” the East Antrim MP said.
His comments came after speculation more money could be headed in the direction of Northern Ireland as the PM tries to get them on board with any concessions.
The DUP has helped prop up the Conservative government through a confidence and supply agreement, which has brought £1bn in additional investment to Northern Ireland.
Mr Johnson held further talks with the DUP yesterday after the party said “gaps remain and further work is required” following a meeting with the PM on Tuesday night.
Yesterday, DUP leader Arlene Foster quickly moved to reject a suggestion that her party had accepted the latest proposal around Northern Ireland’s consent for any Brexit deal.
She tweeted: “Discussions continue. Needs to be a sensible deal which unionists and nationalists can support.”
Former Brexit secretary David Davis said DUP backing would be influential for his colleagues.
“There will be quite a lot of Tory MPs who will take their line from what the DUP do,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
If the DUP say the deal is “intolerable” then that opinion is “quite important”, he said.
Mr Davis added: “Let’s see when she sees the detail of the deal whether she thinks this is blood-red line or it’s an acceptable compromise.”
Pressure to sign off on a draft agreement is peaking.
A legal text needs to be published ahead of today’s summit if the EU27 are to consider ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement.
Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister acknowledged that “outstanding issues” to get a Brexit deal remain.
His official spokesman said Mr Johnson had updated his Cabinet yesterday, which gave its “full support” to get a deal ahead of the summit after a “positive discussion”.
Approval at the EU summit would allow Mr Johnson to put the deal to MPs in a sitting of Parliament — if that happens — on Saturday, between 9.30am and 2pm.