DUP peers to speak on Humble Address tonight - as Baroness Hoey calls it a government 'con trick'

The motion – a symbolic communication from Parliament to the King – affirms Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom and reminds the monarch of the “foundational importance” of the Acts of Union.

Yesterday, Baroness Kate Hoey tabled an amendment “to give members the opportunity to put on the record their acknowledgment of the truth and legal reality”.

She described the motion as a “con trick” and said she wouldn’t put her name to it – and nor should any unionist. The former Labour MP said: “My amendment provides the opportunity for of all those who refuse to go along with pretending black is white to have their principled stand recorded on the Parliamentary record.

“Put simply: it is a means by which members can stand behind the truth and legal reality, and in regards the conjuring trick, say ‘not in my name’”.

The DUP’s Lord Dodds and Lord Morrow have been openly critical of the deal with the government – while Lord Hay has backed it. Tonight could be a replay of events in the Commons last night on the same motion.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson struck a very different tone from some of his colleagues such as Sammy Wilson – who said the government were lying to the King about the Acts of Union.

Sir Jeffrey said in the DUP’s seven tests “we talked about fulfilling the Acts of Union while others – who hadn’t bothered to read the original Acts of Union, who didn’t know what they are talking about, who seek to rewrite history, who declare themselves as the champions of unionism but don’t know their facts – talked about restoring something that would mean customs checks on goods moving between NI and GB. Would mean tariffs on goods manufactured in NI being sold in GB.

“This is the kind of nonsense that our detractors daily pump out. They should check their facts, know their history and understand what they’re talking about.”

However, Sammy Wilson later rejected this argument – saying that the difference is they were impediments that were decided within the UK, but would now be decided by the EU.

Mr Wilson said that the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ deal hadn’t removed EU control – and said “it is just not true” that the foundational importance of the Acts of Union is respected by the government.

Sir Jeffrey said the motion was a “reaffirmation” of Northern Ireland’s place in the Union by both the government and the opposition. He accused opponents of living in the 1970s – arguing that if the Union was to be secured it needed to appeal to young people.

A number of DUP MPs highlighted ongoing issues with checks on the Irish Sea border.

Ian Paisley commended Sir Jeffrey’s work – and asked the government to set out a timetable for the promises made in the deal including on veterinary medicines, plants, InterTrade UK, and checks.

The DUP MP also said he had several examples of sea border checks disrupting businesses – including one business who had checks increased recently. Mr Paisley said he would bring seeds in his hand luggage to a constituent who couldn’t order them for her business because of the current arrangements.

Carla Lockhart welcomed the work by her party on the deal but said there remains much work to be done. She raised problems with animal and plant movements – and agreed with the wording of the motion that the Acts of Union were of foundational importance.

She said that the arrangements didn’t remove the EU customs code – and that 1.9m UK citizens had been disenfranchised. The Upper Bann MP said Article Six of the Act of Union needs to be fully restored.

However, Jim Shannon highlighted businesses where paperwork had been removed – and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he had been contacted by a very prominent nursery whose supply chains had improved already, even before the new arrangements had been fully implemented.

The Commons motion was brought by the NIO minister Steve Baker, who began his remarks by saying the whole nation is “astonished at the brilliance” of how the first and deputy first minister are working together.

Alliance MP Stephen Farry described the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ deal as “a glorified press release” saying it had no legal effect.