Politics

DUP claims new Brexit deal means Northern Irish goods have to meet EU standards even if not exported

Leo Varadkar has played down suggestions that a deal was imminent but said that progress has been made

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson says it is ‘unacceptable’ for Northern Irish goods to be required to comply with EU regulations if they are not being exported. Picture: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak has yet to convince the DUP of his new Brexit deal as Jeffrey Donaldson said that the UK Prime Minister’s proposals will still lead to Northern Irish businesses having to make goods in line with EU regulations — even if they don’t leave Northern Ireland.

“That’s not acceptable,” Donaldson said, after meeting with a hard-line grouping of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, known as the European Research Group (ERG), in Westminster on Tuesday evening. “Especially ...