Rishi Sunak won’t do Brexit deal without DUP approval, claim Tory hardliners

Brexiteers confident PM holding off on deal until unionists won over – but Tory moderates say DUP ‘can’t be allowed to hold veto’

Hardline Brexiteers in the Tory party are confident that Rishi Sunak won’t agree to post-Brexit deal with the EU until it wins support from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The prime minister is under pressure from the unionist party and European Research Group (ERG) not to rush into any agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol and push for further concessions from Brussels.

A deal is not now expected this week, with one ERG source telling The Independent they were optimistic that Mr Sunak would now wait until the DUP was won over before signing off on a deal.