Boris Johnson wants to ‘bring down’ Rishi Sunak, George Osborne says

100 Tory MPs ready to vote against Brexit deal, as announcement on protocol agreement paused

Boris Johnson wants to “bring down” Rishi Sunak over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, former Tory chancellor George Osborne has said.

The prime minister is thought to be on the verge of signing a deal with the EU to resolve the protocol dispute – but an announcement has been paused as No 10 tries to convince the DUP to accept the compromise.

Mr Johnson was accused of “teachery” after he made it known that he believes dropping the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – which would empower the UK to unilaterally scrap parts of the treaty – would be a “great mistake”.