DUP slams government’s wooing attempts in advance of Brexit deal vote
A spokesman for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has slammed government proposals intended to get the support of the Northern Irish party for the Brexit deal as “fairly meaningless”.
Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington, a key ally of Prime Minister Theresa May, had announced a series of pledges to try and sell the deal including a “lock” for the Stormont assembly on new areas of law applying to Northern Ireland if the Irish backstop takes effect.
However, Sky News reported the DUP’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson, who has seen the proposals, saying they were “fairly meaningless” and would not be enough to win over his party.
"We are concerned that this falls far short of what we agreed last December, which was a veto for Stormont on the backstop," he said.
"This says we would be consulted if it were to be introduced, and that if it were to be introduced we would have the ability to stop any new EU regulations.
"These would be outside the scope of the 300 areas of law set out in the withdrawal agreement and of course it's possible that existing EU laws could be extended to new industries which could not be vetoed.
"This is fairly meaningless. We have had detailed discussions with the government and they know this doesn't go near to meeting the requirements."
Adding: "The backstop will still be in place, all the provisions of the backstop will still apply and will be no ability for the UK government or the Northern Ireland Assembly to stop that. It's window dressing really.
"If this deal went through it would be ruinous and do what the IRA failed to do over 40 years of a terrorist campaign."
Wilson said the DUP would vote against May’s deal on Thursday, alongside Tory hard line Brexiters.
Earlier Lidington told the BBC that those hoping for an alternative deal were living in a fantasy land.
“I don't think the British public are served by fantasies about magical, alternative deals that are somehow going to spring out of cupboard in Brussels,” he said.
“This deal on the table has involved some very difficult give and take on both sides.”
Further reading: Government dismisses hopes of a new Brexit deal as 'fantasy'