Conservative MPs yet to say if they will vote on Stormont brake

A key group of Conservative MPs are yet to say whether they will vote for Rishi Sunak's deal.

Parliament will vote tomorrow on the Stormont brake, a key part of the prime minister's Windsor Framework agreement that would allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to reject new EU rules.

European Research Group ERG chairman Mark Francois refused to say how the group will vote, despite the group s lawyers branding the brake practically useless. DUP said it wanted the brake to go further and grant Stormont the power to reject or repeal old conditions imposed by the bloc on Northern Ireland, not just new EU rules.

Francois said ERG members would discuss the matter again on Wednesday ahead of the vote.

Francois said his lawyers had found out that EU law will still be supreme in Northern Ireland and that the rights of its people under the 1800 Act of Union are not restored.

We have been critical of the government for not giving people enough time to digest everything.

The ERG will meet again tomorrow because of the need to allow people time to digest this, because we need to allow people time to digest all this documentation.

We will be having a meeting before PMQs as a group will discuss what attitude, if any, to take. Downing Street opposed the ERG's concerns about the deal.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the brake addresses the democratic deficit and provides a clear democratic safeguard for the people of Northern Ireland.

This is a good deal and we continue to urge all parliamentarians to back it. The opposition of the ERG and DUP will not be enough to block the deal, as Labour already said it will vote it through.