Brexit campaigner Ben Habib says he doesn't see how the Government could satisfy DUP demands on Irish Sea Border

Mr Habib said that he believes the area the DUP will be trying to clarify with the government is on trade in the other direction – from NI to the mainland. However, he argues that without the EU at the table, very little can be changed.

"I think what Jeffrey is going to be trying to get is some kind of confirmation that checks won’t take place on goods moving from NI to GB. But even there, I would be really surprised if he gets anything that’s concrete because it breaches the Protocol and WTO regulations", he said.

Mr Habib added: "But the biggest and most important point is – how do you get a deal without the EU being at the table?”

“You can’t make changes to it [the Windsor Framework] without the EU being a party – because we would be operating in breach of an international treaty. I think the area that the DUP is seeking to clarify is goods moving from Northern Ireland to GB. It’s to ensure the claim that businesses in NI will have equal access to the single market and to Great Britain. Under international WTO regulations – you have to have checks going both ways.

"I think Jeffrey is running out of time – if he hasn’t already run out of time – to get a deal. This is a lame duck government”.

In response to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson asking the Secretary of State to remove unnecessary “customs processes” – he said “I don’t see how Chris Heaton-Harris could give any sort of satisfaction on that.”

The DUP said while they weren’t giving a running commentary, their position remains unchanged, adding: “We will assess any such outcome against our seven tests”.