Northern Ireland Protocol deal: 'When it comes to the crunch I see the DUP rejecting this' says 50-year veteran of the party

Mr Wells had a well-documented personal falling-out with the party leadership several years ago, and in the last couple of years left as a member.

But he is following the current Protocol developments closely, and says he has spoken to a wide range of former DUP colleagues in recent days.

He has detected “no enthusiasm whatsoever” for the Windsor Framework, but believes some in the party will feel that “we’re in a difficult spot – we may have to accept it” even though it does not meet the much-touted Seven Tests.

When it comes to the party’s MLAs, “if Jeffrey recommends backing it then, knowing the nature of the people in the Assembly team, a large proportion of them would be supportive of Jeffrey on a personal basis”.

He continued: "They would back it on the basis Jeffrey recommends it. Some of them, of course, have been chosen by Jeffrey. Some of them are long-term supporters of his.

“And some of them would frankly respect his judgement even if it was contrary to their own.

"Where I think he’s going to have huge problems is [support from] the MPs and the Lords.

“They have more independent thinking about it because their careers are not on the line.

"They’ll continue on as MPs regardless of whether there’s a Protocol or not.

"But for the Assembly, someone will be facing a situation where if it doesn’t work, the Assembly will be prorogued and I suppose that’s concentrating some of their minds – not all of them, but some of them.”

However, what it is likely to come down to is decision by the Party Central Executive Committee.

This, he said, is made up of five representatives from each constituency (90 people), plus the MLAs (25) plus the MPs (8).

If put to a vote there, he said, “I can’t see the DUP supporting it” – unless somebody “pulls a rabbit out of the hat” and finds some aspects of the deal which can counteract the “unending flow of weaknesses being exposed in it”.

Mr Wells shares concerns already voiced by Ian Paisley.

"That is, as I read it, we still have existing EU rules imposed upon us. The Stormont block is only applied to new rules.

"We still have customs checks, albeit reduced.

"We’re still ultimately subject to the European Court of Justice.

"And we’re still crucially within the single market.

“The so-called Stormont Brake, the more it’s examined the more it’s just meaningless.

"It’s you like driving at 100mph down the motorway, I’m in the back seat saying ‘Mr Kula would you mind slowing down?’ And you say you’re in a hurry and am just going to go ahead.’

"That is the effectiveness of the block!

“It’s pretty clear even without a more detailed analysis that those are the major questions that are going to have to be asked.”