Brexit fury explodes as Tories accused of ‘betraying Leave voters’

Brexit: Rishi Sunak says there is ‘no deal’

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Brexit fury has exploded after the UK Government was accused of “betraying” the 17.4million people who voted for Britain to leave the European Union as pressure grows on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The UK officially left the EU more than three years ago on January 31, 2020 with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting the country would flourish outside the bloc.

But fury over the Brexit deal struck between the two sides has surged over recent weeks, with one former MEP accusing the UK of “selling out” to the EU.

Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib insisted the UK has been far too soft with Brussels in ongoing negotiations, particularly around the hotly-contested Northern Ireland Protocol, warning: “We haven’t really got Brexit and that is the problem.”

He told Express.co.uk: “We have already sold out to the EU but now they are just taking us closer and closer. We have never got Brexit and now they are just going to take us back in.

“The UK has been far too lenient with the EU. What our Government doesn’t recognise is that international trade is a competitive endeavour. It’s not a ‘let’s all cuddle each other and get on fantastically well’.

“It is competitive and you are out there fighting for British interests You have to break eggs to make an omelette and we have been far too timid in our approach to the EU.

“But we’re still endearing so much to the EU Northern Ireland hasn’t left, we still haven’t reclaimed our fishing waters.

“The 17.4million people who voted for Brexit will feel terribly let down by the Government. They have been betrayed by this Government again and again and again.”

Mr Habib, an ardent Brexiteer but huge critic of the Northern Ireland Protocol, claimed the UK remains “tied at the hip with the EU” – three years after officially leaving the bloc.

He pointed towards the recent ruling from the UK Supreme Court on the Protocol, claiming Northern Ireland has been “left behind” in several critical areas.

The former MEP continued: “The Brexit ballot paper said ‘Do you wish the UK to leave the EU?’ But the UK still hasn’t properly left.

“I’ve just had a Supreme Court ruling on the Protocol saying that Northern Ireland has been left behind in the EU Single Market for goods. It is subject to foreign laws, made by foreign bodies, adjudicated by a foreign court.

“That is not Brexit – we voted for the UK to leave the EU, not for Great Britain to leave.

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“If you look at the detail of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, we’re bound into a level playing field on competition, state aid, employment and environmental law, so our Government can’t buy British first. That was a cornerstone of Brexit

“If we wanted to nationalise one of our energy companies – which is a topical area at the moment – we can’t do it because that would breach the state aid rules.”

Mr Habib concluded: “We haven’t got Brexit. The UK is still tied at the hip with the EU and Northern Ireland simply hasn’t left. As we all know, three years on, we haven’t even got rid of any EU laws that are on our statute book.”

This furious attack comes with Rishi Sunak warned he could be hit with a vote of no confidence if he doesn’t scrap plans for a deal with the EU that could solve issues with the Protocol.

The Prime Minister has been urged to shelve “Plan A” – which is thought to involve a continued role for the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in policing the Protocol – if he wants to avoid a mutiny from his own MPs.

Up to 100 Tory MPs, many of whom as from the European Research Group – a powerful backbench group of Brexiteers – are set to rebel unless Mr Sunak restores Northern Ireland’s sovereignty.

It was understood a deal on the Protocol was due to be announced today, but a senior ERG member said it is “clear that plan A has stalled” as a result of opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The source told Express.co.uk: “We could have told Downing Street for free that it is difficult to find an agreement which the DUP would agree to and in fact, we did tell them.

“But apparently, they weren’t listening and have only just realised that it is difficult to get the DUP to agree.

“These are people, after all, who in their younger days would check the underside of their car each morning to make sure there wasn’t a bomb, so they aren’t easily bullied. What is obvious is that there was a putative agreement but nobody asked the DUP.

“Now – as you at the Express revealed yesterday – they are talking about if there will be an agreement not when.

“Our understanding is that the Government has asked the southern Irish to try and woo the DUP. Which just shows you how bad things have got. It doesn’t say much for the talks on Friday.”

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