DUP’s Sammy Wilson blasts ‘Brexit-betraying’ government as deal to restore Stormont announced

DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who serves as the party’s chief whip at Westminster, has labelled the government “spineless” in the wake of the announcement of the new deal set to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

Following the statement today from NI secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, he said: “This is a result of this spineless, weak kneed Brexit-betraying government, refusing to take on the EU and its interference in Northern Ireland.

“The government has admitted their will be growing divergence in the future and on page 17 of the command paper, there’s an indication that will be a legal requirement that new legislation is assessed as to whether it impacts on trade between Northern Ireland and GB”.

Heaton Harris responded: “I thank him for his question and there are a number of points to it. Some of the points he made were actually incorrect. There is going to be you know, we have always … said that there would be checks on goods going into the EU single market.

“And I think every piece of legislation has said that we’ve proposed in this place has said that”.

Heaton-Harris say new deal will deliver ‘long term change that Northern Ireland needs’