‘Only 20 Conservatives’ will rebel against Sunak’s Brexit agreement

DOWNING Street is confident that a maximum of 20 Tories will rebel against Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal for Northern Ireland in a crucial vote, a Conservative MP has suggested.

The Prime Minister is reported to be sure that any backbench revolt against the Windsor Framework would be manageable after he sealed the deal with Brussels in February.

Remainer MPS added their voice to his demand to get behind the deal and compared Eurosceptic Tories to “Japanese soldiers” who don’t believe the Brexit war is over.

MPS will debate the Stormont Brake – legislation giving Northern Ireland Assembly members a say on new EU law applying to the province – on Wednesday. It will be their sole vote on the Irish Sea border agreement and all eyes will be on the European Research Group of MPS and the DUP to see how they respond.

No 10 issued a plea to Brexiteer backbenchers to get behind the deal, which cuts border checks on British goods entering Northern Ireland but preserves the role of EU judges. “We believe this is the best deal for the people of Northern Ireland. It resolves the fundamental issues that we know the Protocol was having on day-to-day lives,” Mr Sunak’s spokesman said.

“So we would very much encourage MPS to vote for the deal next week.”

Asked if the figure of 20 MPS sounded correct, Alec Shelbrooke, the Conservative

MP for Elmet and Rothwell, agreed. He told Talktv, “I think they are roughly about right. I think there is a hardcore which won’t accept any compromise at all but then there is no way out of the fact you want to honour the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Shelbrooke, who voted Remain in the Brexit referendum, said: “The public want this over and done with, Parliament

wants this over and done with. I think there are a few Japanese soldiers not believing the war is over but I think they are very, very few now.”

Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, backed the deal during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US. “[The] Windsor Framework is an essential step to ensure peace and progress and to ensure that it is strengthened,” she said.