Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak: Arlene Foster believes return of Boris as Prime Minister could be better for Northern Ireland Protocol

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Arlene Foster feels Boris Johnson has a mounting chance of returning Prime Minister - and that he would be more committed to resolving NI Protocol problems than Rishi Sunak.

The former First Minister and DUP leader was speaking after the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss this week. Now a news presenter and commentator for GB News, Ms Foster singled out Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak as key contenders to succeed her.

During the last leadership race, she said, Truss had been "very clear on the Protocol Bill and the union, whereas Sunak had not made it a priority," she added.

The Protocol is a EU-UK agreement to keep a hard EU customs border off the island of Ireland – by placing it in the Irish Sea; all unionist parties oppose it because it causes disruption to internal UK trade.

Ms Foster interviewed former Northern Ireland Office Minister Robin Walker on her GB News show yesterday - whom she described as "a big Sunak backer".

He told her that "of course" Mr Sunak would make the Protocol a priority, but he also described it as "the backstop" in case talks with the EU fall through, she added.

However she noted that because the EU mandate on the issue hasn't changed and so questioned how Sunak thinks they could achieve success in talks.

She also believes that Sunak tried to stop previous UK Brexit negotiator David Frost triggering Article 16 of the Protocol to suspend parts of it.

Contrary to the bookies, she does not see Rishi as the favourite.

"There seems to be momentum building behind Boris which in and of itself is incredible given that he only left office on the 5 September."

It was under his premiership the Tories brought forward the NI Protocol Bill to unilaterally suspend parts of the Protocol, she notes, whereas she doesn't feel Sunak "has the fight in him".

In her view, however Boris understands it because "he had a feeling that he needs to right the wrong".

Mr Sunak is not as passionate about it, but if he is going to unite the party, even he will need to bring anti-Protocol Tories with him, she adds.

"And as we all know, if it is not dealt with there will not be any devolution in Northern Ireland."