British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing pushback from his predecessor, Boris Johnson, over his stance on the North Ireland protocol's Brexit deal.
The former prime minister has called on Sunak not to abandon the legislation introduced during his time in office. The new prime minister, Sunak, has recently met with EU leaders to agree to a new deal.
Rishi Sunak vs Boris Johnson
Certain trade checks cover some goods shipped over the Irish Sea since 2021. A source close to Johnson said the officer believed it would be a mistake to move away from such a plan. If the protocol successfully moves through parliament, it would allow the Westminster government to move away from current arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Furthermore, several Conservative MPs on the backbenches view the decision as a crucial bargaining chip whenever the United Kingdom attempts to wring concessions from the EU. The NI protocol is currently paused in parliament as the UK and EU attempt to agree on a new deal.
Lawmakers aim to resolve longstanding issues such as trade across the Irish Sea and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, as per BBC.
There were talks on Saturday where Sunak warned that an agreement was nowhere near finished, adding that they still had many changes to work through. However, Johnson's source said that the prime minister's plans must be shown to the people before a choice can be made.
Several government insiders have also argued that a debate and vote regarding the deal will come to the House of Commons soon. They expect the earliest Tuesday but noted that plans are still flexible.
Sunak is currently trying to ease tensions between Westminster and Brussels caused by Johnson's proposed legislation that would allow the UK to abandon parts of the current arrangements unilaterally. This is despite the terms being negotiated and agreed upon by the EU.
Sunak's Legal Challenges
Former chancellor George Osborne noted that Johnson plans to bring down Sunak over the current Brexit talks. On the other hand, the official praised the prime minister for attempting to resolve the protocol stalemate but added that he should be careful in handling the issue, according to the Telegraph.
During an interview, Osborne said that Sunak should avoid making the mistake that Therese May, David Cameron, and himself made before. This was thinking that Johnson had any interest in the issues.
The former chancellor said that Johnson is only interested in becoming prime minister again, arguing that the official would avoid doing something that could cause a politically-induced issue.
On the other hand, Sunak is also facing a rebellion from a coalition of Conservative MPs for the corporation tax rise that is due in April. In a letter regarding the issue, the leaders of several backbench Tory factions have notified the prime minister that they are demanding he abandons his current plan to raise the tax from 19% to 25% ahead of the March Budget, said the Independent.
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