DUP Leader sets out 'real solution' to get Stormont back, but MPs back Windsor Framework

In the end, 22 Conservative MPs joined the DUP to vote against the Government on the Windsor Framework in parliament.

A total of 515 MPs voted with the Government, allowing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's new deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland to clear its first Commons test.

MPs voted to support the statutory instrument on the 'Stormont Brake', which was billed as an indicative vote on the entire deal with the EU.

The debate in the House of Commons lasted for 90 minutes.

The DUP's Ian Paisley raised an issue with the length of time set aside for the debate at the start, expressing frustration that not enough time or notice had been given to MPs.

When the former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss confirmed they would vote against the Government, there were growing rumblings of a rebellion on the Conservative back benches.  

The hardline Brexit group within the Conservative party, the ERG, also confirmed this morning it was advising members to vote against the motion. But the rebellion did not materialise.

During the debate the DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson appealed to the Government to continue to engage with his party to get the changes they want to the Windsor Framework. 

He spoke of "the real solution" being a proposal set out in the Protocol Bill which proposed NI companies trading with the UK following UK rules, and those trading with the EU following EU rules.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: "That where EU law is applied to facilitate cross border trade, that it does not impede the ability to trade with the rest of our own country... that is the bottom line for us and until that is resolved I can't commit to the Government that we will restore political institutions. That is what I want to do but, we need to get this right."

The former Secretary of State Julian Smith intervened in the debate responding to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and said: "Would he agree... the best way to influence now is for Stormont to return?"

The Government won the vote with 515 votes, including the support of the SDLP and Alliance MPs.

Twenty nine, including 6 DUP MPs, voted against the Government.

Forty eight Conservative MPs abstained. That means 70 back benchers in total did not support the Government.

That's a little bit more uncomfortable than Rishi Sunak would have liked, his deal getting through because of support from Labour.

But it's through, with support enough to make those against look very much in the minority.

The Ulster Unionist Leader Doug Beattie has said the DUP has not succeeded in getting what it wants.

Mr Beattie said: “The vote on the Stormont brake has shown that the UK Government are moving on and that the DUP boycott has failed.

"Unionism has a decision to make, do we want to have influence via the Assembly and Executive, or do we want to be nothing more than passengers with no say over the direction we are headed? The Ulster Unionist Party is clear as to which is best for Northern Ireland.”

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