The Tory Party is heading towards a major internal battle if the Government presses ahead with plans to give the European Court of Justice (ECJ) a continuing role in policing the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Conservative Party is on the brink of an all-out civil war, as MPs are said to be furious at reports that the Government is considering handing power to the European courts.
Rishi Sunak’s Government is said to be preparing to accept a role for the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in policing the Northern Ireland Protocol, which would be seen as a post-Brexit betrayal by many on the right of the party.
A source close to the eurosceptic Tory faction, the European Research Group (ERG), told the Daily Express that such a move would trigger a “civil war” in the party, and could lead to a revival of a pro-Boris Johnson faction.
The ERG and the DUP are understood to be working “in lockstep” with one another, both being heavily opposed to the ECJ having any role in policing the protocol.
The Government has stepped up its efforts to resolve issues with the protocol in recent months, in a dispute which has been ongoing since October 2021. A new Brexit deal is expected in the next fortnight as a result of the UK watering down its resistance to European judges ruling on issues in Northern Ireland.
While final sign-off is still needed from Number 10, sources close to the talks told the Telegraph that an agreement to end the longstanding dispute will be revealed in the coming weeks.
But sources told the paper that the role of the ECJ is likely to be presented differently by the EU and the UK. Sources in Brussels say the agreement will see the ECJ presented as the ultimate arbiter of disputes about EU law that emerge from Northern Ireland.
Summary above derived from this news link -> All-out Tory civil war erupts! ‘Gloves are off’ as Remainers plot to hand power to EU
