Sunak's Brexit deal 'as good as it's going to get', government minister tells DUP

By Anushka Asthana, ITV News Deputy Politics Editor, and Lucy McDaid, Politics Producer

A government minister has warned the Democratic Unionist Party that Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal is a good as it is going to get.

Northern Ireland minister, Steve Baker, told journalists: "I can't see how we can do better than this".

The comments came as the European Research Group - representing the most ardent Tory Brexiteer - said they were setting up a "star chamber of legal experts" to analyse the legal text and that it could now be a fortnight or more before they deliver their verdict.

Baker, himself an ardent Brexiteer who used to chair the Tory's European Research Group, argued that the agreement dealt with the practical challenges at the Irish border in the best and fairest way possible.

He said that he recognised this was a "very difficult" time for both the ERG and DUP - for whom this issue was "everything".

But he added: "We believe that [the PM's] done it. We're waiting with bated breath for the DUP."

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The government is desperate for the DUP to rejoin power sharing in NI - in order to help the proper functioning of public services. But Downing Street sources said the deal would go ahead without their support.

Baker was emerging from the 1922 meeting, which was incredibly warm for the PM - with loud banging on the table and one MP emerging, muttering "I love Rishi".

Even Brexiteer Peter Bone was highly complimentary - claiming that the PM had been very impressive and across the detail - although he said he did need to scrutinise the deal.

The PM told MPs that he wanted to build on the positive momentum and tackle issues that he admitted he was under pressure over - like small boats coming into Dover.

But at the ERG meeting straight after - the mood was notably cooler. Simon Clarke MP came out to say it was a complex process and that while there had been improvements through the agreement - there were also "big questions".

"It's much better to get this right, once and for all," he added.

ERG chair Mark Francois said Sir Bill Cash will chair the expert panel along with lawyers to carry out a "detailed legal audit of the Windsor framework". He said it would be sensible for Sunak to give both Tory Brexiteers and the DUP time to reach a conclusion. That could mean Sunak waiting sometime before putting the deal to MPs.