Brexit ultimatum issued to Rishi Sunak as PM warned he's not in charge in talks with EU - 'We will be the final arbiters!'

Rishi Sunak has been served with an ultimatum by the DUP over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Sammy Wilson, a DUP MP for East Antrim, said his party will be the “final arbiter” as to whether any deal between the UK-EU meets their “seven tests”.

It comes as negotiations over the Northern Ireland protocol reach a critical phase with a deal mooted as early as next week.

The DUP has laid down seven conditions for the agreement that if met, would see the party return to Stormont, which it has been boycotting for a year in protest at the protocol.

The Guardian claim DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is keen to return to Stormont, but the boycott has reached a stage where he will be under immense pressure to reject any agreement that does not meet his base’s ideals.

Sammy Wilson MP, the DUP’s chief whip in Westminster, made a late plea to the prime minister in a couple of tweets.

He said: “The DUP will be the final arbiter as to whether or not any UK/EU deal meets our 7 tests, not Downing Street.

“Of course, it must also meet the Government’s own tests made in the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

Rishi Sunak is under pressure to deliver on his Northern Ireland Protocol promises
Image: PA

“The fundamental issue to be dealt with is the democratic deficit and the constitutional damage caused by the imposition of EU law.

“If that is not dealt with then any proposed deal is worthless.”

The DUP have been under pressure from a number of quarters to resurrect the Assembly, with the latest bid to do so blocked by the party on Tuesday.

A recalled sitting was initiated by Sinn Fein in an effort to pass stalled organ donation laws for Northern Ireland.

The DUP branded the move a stunt and insisted the law could be passed by the UK government at Westminster instead.

Sammy Wilson says any deal that does not satisfy the DUP's demands would be 'worthless'
Liam McBurney

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill, who would be in line to be Stormont first minister if devolution returned, said the DUP needed to stop “holding the public to ransom”.

“There’s certainly a lot of increased speculation around the proposed deal,” she told reporters in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.

“I hope that it is the case that both sides arrive at an agreed way forward and I hope that that’s done in a matter of days. That remains to be seen if that’s going to be the case, but certainly, things seem to be pointing in that direction.

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill has accused the DUP of 'holding the public to ransom'
Liam McBurney

“Now that in itself is only the first stage because that would be a deal between the EU and the British government and what we need to see within that deal is the framework of the protocol, everything needs to be within the framework of that protocol, but if there are ways to smooth things out, then let’s get on with it and do it, but both sides have to agree.

“That will provide certainty and stability and that’s what I hope we can achieve.

“And then, after that, it’s over to the DUP, because they’re continuing to hold the public to ransom, they’re continuing to stay out of the executive, they’re continuing to block life-saving legislation going through.

“They’re continuing to block all the rest of us who want to work together, to be in the executive to do our business, the job that we are here and elected to do.”