DUP’s Arlene throws down gauntlet to May... before even seeing wording of exit proposal

DUP leader Arlene Foster threw down the gauntlet to Theresa May last night, strongly hinting that she would oppose yesterday’s proposed Brexit deal – despite not having seen the wording of any text.

Ms Foster appeared to take exception to the North being more closely aligned with some EU regulations than the rest of the UK – and being ‘dependant on Dublin’ to speak up for the North’s interests in Brussels.

In a statement issued last night, Ms Foster said: ‘An agreement which places new trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will fundamentally undermine the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom. That is not acceptable.’

She also objected to the idea that the UK would have to obey trade rules set by Brussels.

‘Northern Ireland would have no representation in Brussels and would be dependent on a Dublin government speaking up for our core industries,’ she said.

She complained that the UK would not be able to leave the combined EU-UK customs territory without the EU’s say-so.

‘Without a clean exit clause, the United Kingdom would be handcuffed to the European Union with Brussels holding the keys,’ she said.

‘At least the United Kingdom people could vote to leave the European Union.’

Sending a clear message to prime minister May, she said she was ‘heartened by friends of the Union on both sides of the House, and across the United Kingdom, who have pledged to stand with the DUP in opposing a deal which weakens the Union and hands control to Brussels rather than Parliament.

‘These are momentous days and the decisions being taken will have long-lasting ramifications. [Mrs May] must win the support of the Cabinet and the House of Commons. Every individual vote will count.’

Earlier yesterday, Ms Foster’s deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, said that getting the proposed deal through parliament will be a ‘very tall order’ for Mrs May.

Mr Dodds said that, while the party hadn’t seen the final deal, many in Westminster were very sceptical.

‘We have been making it clear for some time that Theresa May has two major tasks in convincing not ourselves alone, but many Conservative and Unionist colleagues across the house and some in the Labour party as well.

‘That is that she delivers on a proper Brexit, which is control of our borders, our laws and our money. And that she does it in a ‘No point’: Sammy Wilson way that preserves the constitutional economic integrity of the United Kingdom.’

He also warned that any regulatory checks ‘would certainly be a breach of the PM’s pledges to the people of Northern Ireland [and] the pledges she made to the people’ of the UK.

Meanwhile, the DUP’s Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson, said that ‘the headline stuff... is really just a regurgitation of the deal which was offered in March of this year which the prime minister said no UK prime minister could ever sign up to’.

He added: ‘If she does sign up to this... It will lead to the breakup of the United Kingdom, and it will also keep the United Kingdom tied into EU institutions without the ability to decide when we want to break free from them.’

When asked by RTÉ News last night if he was surprised that his party hadn’t been shown the text of the proposed deal, Mr Wilson replied that Mrs May’s ‘own cabinet’ hadn’t seen it, adding that if she can’t get it past her own cabinet, ‘there’s no point showing it to us’.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that a Brexit withdrawal agreement must provide legal backing to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s guarantee that there should be no hard border.

‘Last December, a joint report by UK and EU negotiators was agreed, in which it was stated there would be no hard border in Ireland. The Taoiseach assured us that this was a “cast iron” guarantee. The withdrawal agreement must give legal effect to that “cast iron” guarantee.

‘While we await the publication of this document, it is a matter of concern that some are presenting the backstop agreement as temporary,’ she said.

‘Brexit is for the long term and what is required is a durable, permanent and legally robust agreement that safeguards Irish interests and ensures there is no hard border...’

Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann said there must not be any ‘ambiguity’ about the North’s place in a post-Brexit UK. He added ‘the bottom line’ must be the achievement of a ‘sensible deal’.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said any agreement must include a backstop, while Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry described the reports as ‘encouraging’.

james.ward@dailymail.ie

‘UK would be handcuffed to EU’