Sunak warned of Tory chaos over Northern Ireland protocol deal

Conservative Brexiters and DUP unable to back plan that retains any role for EU court, key backbencher says

Conservative Brexiters and the Democratic Unionist party would be unable to back a Northern Ireland deal that left any role for the European court of justice, a key backbencher has said, setting Rishi Sunak on an apparent collision course with his parliamentary party.

With ministers saying Sunak was on the cusp of a deal" to change post-Brexit arrangements in the region, Mark Francois, who chairs the influential European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, warned of chaos if the prime minister tried to push through an unsatisfactory plan.