Don't be a hostage to eurosceptics over Northern Ireland deal, PM told

'Sunak must decide if he's PM or hostage of the Right'

- David Bond, Nicholas Cecil and Jonathan Prynn

RISHI SUNAK was urged today not to be a "hostage" to hardline Eurosceptic Tory MPs on the right of his party as he launched a diplomatic dash to secure a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister was trying to win over the Democratic Unionist Party in talks in the region today before heading to the Munich Security Conference for meetings with EU chiefs over the weekend.

Amid reports that a deal could be announced as soon as next week, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was also meeting European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič at lunchtime in Brussels. As Mr Sunak started his marathon talks, business leaders called on the PM to hold firm in a bid to break the deadlock over the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol.

Ex-Confederation of British Industry president Paul Drechsler told The Standard: "Now is the time to decide if he is the Prime Minister for the United Kingdom or a hostage of the Tory right.

"The time is long past for an agreement in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol."