But the Prime Minister would be willing to go ahead with a UK-EU accord even without the DUP’s support, according to The Times. But pressure on Mr Sunak is mounting after his predecessor-but-one made a weekend intervention calling for him to take a tougher line with the EU. Some Tories quickly sided with the former prime minister, with Lord Frost – who negotiated Mr Johnson’s original Brexit deal – urging the Government to “push on with the Protocol Bill”. Rishi Sunak met with EU leaders in Germany in a weekend of frantic diplomacy to strike a deal on the NI Protocol (Ben Stansall/PA)Other Conservatives criticised Mr Johnson’s pronouncements. Former chancellor George Osborne said he was “causing trouble” because he was “interested in becoming prime minister again”.

Source: The Times February 20, 2023 00:35 UTC