British House of Commons votes for Northern Ireland deal
The British House of Commons has approved by a large majority the Windsor Framework deal with which London and Brussels aim to resolve the problems that arose in connection with Brexit and Northern Ireland trade arrangements. Former Tory leaders Boris Johnson and Liz Truss voted against the reform negotiated with the EU by their successor Rishi Sunak - as did the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Is this the end of the dispute?
Sick of high drama
Now everyone can move on, says the Irish Independent jubilantly:
“The DUP looked isolated and marginalised. Westminster has witnessed countless knife-edge votes and days of high drama since Brexit. But this wasn't one of them. The outcome was never in doubt. Just 22 Tories joined the DUP in opposing Rishi Sunak's new protocol deal – and 515 MPs voted in favour of it. The 'big guns' of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss failed to attract hardly any backbenchers to their corner. The message is clear: Britain's Conservatives are sick and tired of Brexit fallout. They want to move on, even if that means leaving the DUP behind.”
The revolt has just begun
The Daily Telegraph sees trouble ahead:
“By voting against Rishi Sunak's Windsor Framework, Johnson's message was clear: the Tories can never again be the party of the technocrats, the bureaucrats and the Eurocrats. ... Below the surface, the vital forces Johnson tapped into are bubbling as strongly as ever, desperate for a new hero to empower the disgruntled majority. ... The 22 Tory heroes were right to vote against this deal, as was the DUP. It was vital to put down a marker. Sunak's Commons majority is a mere tactical win that won't actually help his longer-term strategy.”