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Two senior DUP figures have flatly rejected a claim that the party has accepted a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol, and will attempt to sell it to members tonight.

An Irish News online report today quoted an unnamed individual who is referred to as “a source with knowledge of the DUP's thinking”.

The report said that this source claims “a dinner has been pencilled in for this evening in London with party supporters to explain the DUP's rationale for their acceptance of the deal...

“Sammy Wilson, the DUP Chief Whip, is expected to explain the DUP's position.”

“It’s all a parcel of lies, of course,” said long-serving DUP chairman Lord Morrow of the claim, adding that somebody was up to “mischief”.

“It’s somebody trying to mix it, make a nuisance of themselves,” he said.

Meanwhile Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told the News Letter the report was “total fiction”, saying “anonymous sources strike again”.

He wrote on Twitter: “We’ll take our time to consider the detail and measure a deal against our seven tests.

"PS – a busy day and no dinner planned either... Let’s stick to the facts.”

'Total fiction': DUP denies claim it has backed Protocol deal and that Sammy Wilson will set out reasoning for it at a dinner tonight

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