Sammy Wilson: DUP advising Tory MPs to vote down Brexit deal

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has said his party is advising Tory MPs to vote against Boris Johnson’s new Brexit deal.
DUP MP Sammy WilsonDUP MP Sammy Wilson
DUP MP Sammy Wilson

The prime minister announced the agreement with Brussels yesterday and urged MPs to “get this excellent deal over the line”.

But unionists are united in opposition to the deal, with Mr Johnson’s allies in government the DUP warning it is not in Northern Ireland’s best interests.

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Brexit spokesman Mr Wilson has reiterated his party leader’s pledge that all 10 DUP MPs will vote against the deal when it comes to the House of Commons tomorrow.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, the East Antrim MP said: “I can give you an absolute assurance that we will not be voting for the deal. Why would we when this deal goes against everything the government promised they would not do to Northern Ireland, ie, siphoning us off from the rest of the UK and putting a border down the Irish Sea.”

When asked what the DUP was privately saying to Tory MPs who may be undecided on how they will vote tomorrow, Mr Wilson said: “We will be encouraging them to take the stance the Conservative Party has always said they would take, that they want to protect the Union, and vote with us to oppose this deal. We have had that conversation with many Conservative MPs.

“I can understand the dilemma that many of our friends and colleagues in the Conservative Party are now facing. This is not an easy issue for anyone. But we believe this does have an impact on the unity of the UK, will spark further nationalist sentiment in Scotland, and will be detrimental to the economy of NI.”

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Mr Wilson claimed that his party had made “huge concessions” to try and help the PM get a deal with the EU.

He added: “It wasn’t that we stuck our heels in. We tried to facilitate him in his negotiations, and are disappointed that he did not stick by the red lines he said he would.

“I think Boris Johnson has made a judgement, wrongly, that a deal at any price with the EU is important to meet his October 31 deadline, so we were always prepared for this moment.”