'There should be no EU Law applying to this part of the United Kingdom', says Sammy Wilson MP

Speaking to GB News, Mr Wilson told Camilla Tominey: “We know very little of the details [of the deal]. We've seen quite a lot of speculation in the Press. We've had briefings from some of the officials and of course Jeffrey Donaldson has met the Prime Minister, but apart from the kind of headline stuff, which really doesn't mean a great deal, we haven't seen any legal text.

“But what we do know is that there doesn't appear to have been any deal on the central issue which affects Northern Ireland and that is the imposition of EU law.

“All of the problems that we face with not being able to get goods from GB, checks on goods coming from GB and disruption to our economy, stems from the fact that we're under a different set of laws than the rest of the United Kingdom, and therefore checks are required to make sure we are complying not with British law, but with Brussels law.

“The one thing which is the red line for us, and if the data cannot meet this, then all of the other problems are going to continue anyway, and that is the fact that Northern Ireland will be, it is and as we far as we understand it, will continue to be under laws made in Brussels.

“So that’s the red line for us, and all the other things will fall into place if this is met. The red line for us is that there should be no EU law applying to this part of the United Kingdom.

“I mean, no other country in the world would give a say to a foreign administration to make laws which affect the people of the country to which they belong.

“And in Northern Ireland, not only are we given those laws and have imposed those laws on us at present, but they're imposed without any say either by British ministers or by politicians in Northern Ireland. So that's our red line, if that's met, then I think all of the other things will fall into place anyway.”

Discussing the negotiation skills of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Wilson said the proof would be in what deal is agreed: “Having the skills doesn't mean that you get the outcome, but he's a unionist. So he must ensure that the integrity of the union is not compromised.

“He's a Brexiteer, so he must ensure that what was sought in Brexit for the United Kingdom is delivered to the whole of the United Kingdom and that's the judgement that we will make at the end of the day on the deal that he comes to.

Recent comments from former Conservative party leader and prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the need to keep the Bill. This is a position that Mr Wilson said he agreed with: “Boris Johnson has taken the same view as we have, that the Protocol Bill should be delivered and then the government will have an alternative and will be able to strengthen its hand with the EU."