Could Boris Johnson scupper Rishi Sunak’s Brexit plans?

The former PM has wound up Tory Brexiteers and unionists at a delicate point in the final protocol negotiations. Adam Forrest takes a closer look at what comes next

A mural by the artist Ciaran Gallagher depicts Boris Johnson counting out Rishi Sunak (PA)

Boris Johnson desperately wants to be prime minister again and is willing to use the latest Brexit row in his effort to undermine Rishi Sunak. So says former Tory chancellor George Osborne.

It’s a cynical interpretation. But when it comes to Johnson, it pays to be cynical. The idea that the former prime minister is looking out for his own interests is almost always the safest bet when it comes to scrutinising his motivations.

A source close to Johnson has let it be known that he thinks it would be a “great mistake” to drop the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – the one that would unilaterally override customs checks and potentially spark a trade war with Brussels.