'Don’t rush deal, it has to be right' Sir Jeffrey Donaldson urges PM ahead of expected announcement

Speculation on a Northern Ireland Protocol deal has intensified following an instruction issued for all Tory MPs to be present in the Commons on Monday.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had indicated that ministers will not agree a deal with Brussels until the DUP’s concerns – including those around the impediments to free trade across the Irish Sea and the jurisdiction of the European Court – are addressed.

However, when asked again by The Times if the government would not press ahead with a deal not backed by the DUP, he said: “No, what I’ve said is we’ve got to make sure that the issues they’ve highlighted are addressed.”

Mr Sunak has also promised MPs that Parliament will be able to “express its view” over any deal, which he hopes will then encourage the DUP to return to the power-sharing executive at Stormont.

The PM is reported to have had a “positive” call with the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen ahead of an expected meeting, and Mr Sunak and the European Commission president are likely to hold in-person talks on the protocol this weekend, sources told the PA news agency.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: “The objective in London and Brussels should be to get this right rather than rushed. The wrong deal will not restore power-sharing but will deepen division for future generations.

“The objective in London and Brussels should be to get this right rather than rushed. The wrong deal will not restore power-sharing but will deepen division for future generations.

“Over eighteen months ago we outlined our seven tests and used those to mark out the parameters for the way forward. Those tests will be how we will judge any deal between the EU and UK.

“The checks on the Irish Sea border are the symptom of the underlying problem, namely, that Northern Ireland is subject to a different set of laws imposed upon us by a foreign entity without any say or vote by any elected representative of the people of Northern Ireland.

“If the NI Executive is to be restored, the protocol issues need to be satisfactorily resolved. This means we need new arrangements that unionists can support and that are good for Northern Ireland and it’s place in the United Kingdom.”

Sir Jeffrey added: “It was a mistake to press ahead and ignore the opposition of unionists in 2020. That has been recognised in London, Dublin, Brussels and Washington. They should not make the same mistake twice.

“So let’s focus on the prize of a long-lasting solution instead of a short-term fix. The Protocol must be replaced by arrangements that restore NI’s place in the UK internal market and our constitutional position must be respected.”

TUV leader Jim Allister said there can be on settlement “unless and until the UK recovers full sovereignty over Northern Ireland”.

Mr Allister said: “This means an end to the application within this part of the UK of foreign EU law and an end to GB being treated as a foreign/third country in terms of trade.

"Northern Ireland must be delivered from the EU’s single market and customs union for there to any prospect of a deal with unionism can support.”

He added: “There is little evidence that these core issues are being addressed in the current negotiations.”