Johnson risks being remembered as ‘pound shop Nigel Farage’ over Brexit rebellion, warns minister
Boris Johnson risks being remembered as a “pound shop Nigel Farage” if he votes against Rishi Sunak’s new deal for Northern Ireland, a senior Brexiteer MP has warned.
In a show of blue-on-blue Tory infighting over Wednesday’s vote, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker attacked the former prime minister’s opposition to the Windsor Framework, saying it will “wreck our relations with the European Union and damage our standing internationally”.
In a reference to the former leader of pro-Brexit party UKIP Mr Baker said: “He’s got a choice – he can be remembered for great acts of statecraft that he achieved or he can risk looking like pound shop Nigel Farage. And I hope he choses to be remembered as a statesman.”
Former prime minister Liz Truss will also form part of an expected backbench rebellion against the new deal negotiated with Brussels last month, which aims to change the way the Northern Ireland Protocol operates.
European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs recommended members vote against the government, calling the new agreement “rushed and oversold”.
A crunch vote on the key part of the legislation will take place on Wednesday afternoon, when MPs will decide whether they want to back the Stormont brake or not.
Earlier, Mr Johnson said the proposed new arrangements would mean the “whole of the UK” was unable “properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit”.
And Ms Truss is understood to believe the PM’s pact does not “satisfactorily resolve the issues thrown up by” the protocol and “almost fatally impinges” on the UK’s ability to diverge from EU rules and regulations.
A source close to her said: “After examining the detail of the Stormont brake and Windsor Framework, Liz has decided to vote against the statutory instrument this afternoon.”
Mr Johnson said: “The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order – and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK – or they would mean that the whole of the UK was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit.
“That is not acceptable. I will be voting against the proposed arrangements today.
“Instead, the best course of action is to proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, and make sure that we take back control.”
Mr Johnson has previously expressed doubts about the framework, while conceding he made mistakes in signing his contentious protocol.
Mr Johnson negotiated the protocol as part of his ‘oven ready’ Brexit deal
The mechanism was agreed by Mr Johnson as part of his “oven ready” Brexit deal to prevent a hardening of the land border on the island of Ireland – which all sides agreed was necessary to preserve peace.
But it led to trade barriers being created between Great Britain and NI, effectively creating a customs border down the Irish Sea – something the former prime minister promised would not happen.
As a result Mr Johnson sought to pass the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – a controversial piece of legislation aimed at overriding parts of the UK’s Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU.
The move soured relations with Brussels, who said it would breach international law, and Mr Sunak paused the bill while attempting to negotiate a new deal after taking office.
The Windsor Framework aims to reduce red tape on goods passing between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK by implementing a green and red lane system, while addressing the so-called “democratic deficit” through the Stormont brake.
This mechanism would allow a minority of politicians in Belfast to formally flag concerns about the imposition of new EU laws in Northern Ireland – a move that could see the UK Government veto their introduction in the region.
This is the only aspect of the framework currently being put to MPs for a vote, with Downing Street saying it is the “most significant” part of the agreement.
‘Government avoiding scrutiny’
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Tory MP Peter Bone tells Kay Burley the Stormont brake is ‘worse than useless’
Conservative backbencher Peter Bone said he was “pretty miffed” about the approach as he signalled he could also rebel against the government.
He told Sky News: “We were promised a full debate on the Windsor Framework. If I get a question at PMQs I’m going to ask the prime minister what happened to our wider vote?
“So I’m really pretty miffed that the government is avoiding scrutiny on this and on the brake itself it seems to fail all the tests.
“If that is the case, I’m going to listen to the debate. I’m going to go meetings this morning, but if I had to vote at this moment in time, I should vote against.”
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With Labour backing the Windsor Framework agreement Mr Sunak should win the Commons division comfortably, despite criticism from some hardline Tory Brexiteers.
On Tuesday a group of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs described the Stormont brake as “practically useless”, though they stopped short of saying they would vote against it.
But even if the government wins the vote, the prospect of powersharing is up in the air after the DUP said they wouldn’t support the legislation.
The party pulled out of the Northern Ireland Assembly early last year in protest at the protocol, and on Monday said Mr Sunak’s new deal didn’t address the “fundamental problems” it caused.
Two people have died and more than one million people evacuated after a storm bearing down on the Philippines intensified into a super typhoon and made landfall on Sunday.
Fung-wong started battering eastern and central parts of the country, causing power outages, and forcing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to declare a state of emergency.
One person drowned in Catanduanes and firefighters recovered the body of a woman trapped under the debris of a collapsed home in Catbalogan City, officials said.
A satellite image shows Storm Fung-wong, which has intensified into a super typhoon. Pic: CSU/CIRA & JMA/JAXA/Handout via Reuters
A man walks in the rain with an umbrella as Typhoon Fung-wong approaches, in Cauayan, Isabela, Philippines. Pic: Reuters
Evacuations under way in Quezon province. Pic: Philippine Coast Guard via AP
An evacuation centre in Manila. Pic: Reuters
Packing sustained winds of 115mph and gusts of up to 140mph, Super Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall in Aurora province in central Luzon.
Those living in high-risk villages in northeastern provinces were told to evacuate, including in Bicol, a coastal region vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes.
Defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr warned Fung-wong could affect a vast expanse of the country, including the capital Manila, and Cebu, the central province hit hardest by the deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi just days ago.
More than 200 people were killed in the earlier typhoon, and around 100 are still missing.
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Filipinos stranded on roofs amid Typhoon floods
Mr Teodoro Jr urged residents to heed evacuation orders, warning refusing to comply was dangerous and unlawful.
“We ask people to pre-emptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute, which could put the lives of police, soldiers, firefighters and coast guard personnel at risk,” he said in a public address.
More than 30 million people could be exposed to hazards posed by Fung-wong, the Office of Civil Defence said.
The projection of the route that will be taken by Super Typhoon Fung-wong by Japan’s national weather agency. Pic: JMA
In Isabela in northern Luzon, dozens of families were sheltering at a basketball court repurposed as an evacuation centre.
“We’re scared,” said Christopher Sanchez, 50, who fled his home with his family. “We’re here with our grandchildren and our kids. The whole family is in the evacuation area.”
Nearly 400 domestic and international flights have been cancelled, according to the civil aviation regulator.
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Deadly tornado tears through southern Brazil
Deadly tornado in Brazil
Meanwhile, a powerful tornado ripped through the southern state of Parana in Brazil – killing at least six and injuring more than 750 people, state officials said on Saturday.
The tornado left a trail of destruction, downing trees, overturning vehicles and damaging buildings.
Roads were also blocked and power lines damaged, with authorities saying around 1,000 people were displaced,
“We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide all the help needed,” President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X.
The UK is deploying a specialist Royal Air Force team to help defend Belgium’s skies following a series of sightings of “rogue” drones, the defence secretary and his military chief have revealed.
The ground-based unit will be equipped with kit that can track and take down unmanned aerial systems.
It is not yet clear who is responsible for the drone incursions, which forced the country’s main airport near Brussels to close temporarily and have also impacted Belgian military bases.
However, there are suspicions that they could be linked to Russia.
Other NATO nations have also experienced similar problems, including Denmark and Germany.
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Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News, said his Belgian counterpart had called him to request British support.
Queen Camilla looks at counter-drone equipment during a visit to RAF Leeming, Northallerton, in September 2024. Pic: PA
“I had my Belgian opposite number – the chief of the defence staff – in touch with me this week, seeking our help to track and potentially defeat the drones,” he said.
“We agreed with the defence secretary on Friday that we would send our people and our equipment into Belgium to help them with the current problem they have got there.”
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Queen Camilla, who is an honorary air commodore, inspects counter-drone equipment. Pic: PA
John Healey, the defence secretary, said: “When our NATO allies call, we step up. Belgium requested urgent support to counter rogue drone activity at their military bases, so I’ve directed a small team of RAF specialists to deploy immediately.
“As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace.”
The RAF team is trained and equipped to combat drones.
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