NIO’s arch-Brexiteer Steve Baker says PM Rishi Sunak played a ‘blinder’ with ‘Stormont brake’

Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker (Gareth Fuller/PA) — © Gareth Fuller

Dominic McGrathPA Media

Today at 19:20

Rishi Sunak has “pulled a blinder” in striking a new protocol deal with the EU, arch-Brexiteer Steve Baker said.

The Northern Ireland Office minister, who had been on resignation watch, told the BBC that he had been convinced to back the deal thanks to the ‘Stormont brake’.

He said: “I’m really delighted. I’m actually hand-on-heart glad to accept the whole thing.

“Where there’s a compromise it’s because we need to keep that north-south border free of infrastructure. And so insofar as there’s compromise it’s for that reason.

“So I’m incredibly proud of this achievement, I think the Prime Minister’s really pulled a blinder.

“I think it’s a fantastic achievement for all parties to this deal – for Ireland, for the EU, for the unionists and for Eurosceptics. So I’m delighted that we can move on to a new chapter.”

Mr Baker has said he “wholeheartedly” backs the new UK-EU deal because of the ‘Stormont brake’, as he warned critics to be “reasonable” on how laws will be applied to Northern Ireland.

He said: “There’s going to be some tests, which is reasonable, because I don’t think anyone reasonable would want just some random rejection of laws.”

The amount of EU law that will apply in Northern Ireland “is now down to the absolute minimum necessary to keep that north-south border free of infrastructure”, he said.

“The bottom line is, provided it’s a material impediment to trade in Northern Ireland, the Assembly will be able to say no…

“If the Assembly says no, then we will be able to veto the application of that new rule in Northern Ireland. So if sovereignty is the power to say no, which I think it often is, this is a terrific achievement.

“I’m delighted. As late as yesterday, I still thought I might have to resign, but this is, in the end, the mechanism by which I’m sure I can back this wholeheartedly.”