London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 13, 2026

Suella Braverman plays down resignation talk over Brexit

Suella Braverman plays down resignation talk over Brexit

Suella Braverman has played down the prospect she could resign over new post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland.

However, the home secretary told GB News she could not support any renegotiated deal that allows the EU a "foothold" in the region.

It comes amid pressure on Rishi Sunak from his backbenchers over the future role of the EU's top court.

Earlier, the PM declined to say what role it might have, telling MPs that talks were still ongoing.

He added that any new set of rules would need to guarantee "sovereignty" for Northern Ireland, without giving further details.

The current rules, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, were negotiated by Boris Johnson and came into force in 2021.

It has seen Northern Ireland continue to follow some EU laws, to get round the need for checks at the UK's border with the Republic of Ireland.

The extent to which this will continue under any new arrangement has emerged as a key flashpoint for Brexit-backing Tory MPs, as well as the DUP, the region's largest unionist party.

Some Tory MPs have also expressed concern about allowing the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to have the final say on what EU laws mean - a red line for the 27-country bloc.


'Take back control'


Ms Braverman, a staunch Brexiteer, previously resigned from Theresa May's government over her "backstop" proposals to prevent checks, which was ultimately abandoned.

Asked during an interview with GB News whether she could do the same over a new protocol deal, she replied: "I don't think we need to be talking about resignation.

"I've taken a very forthright position in the past because I've found the terms of previous agreements intolerable."

However, she warned she would not support a deal "selling out on Northern Ireland, and allowing the EU a foothold in the United Kingdom".

It was vital, she added, to "safeguard what we've gained from the Brexit vote" and "properly take back control".

"I know the prime minister shares that objective," she added.


Ms Braverman previously chaired the European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, some of whom have expressed concern about where the current EU talks might end up.

In her GB News interview, she appeared to echo a view expressed by some ERG members that any new agreement will need to have the support of the DUP.

The party is preventing a devolved government being formed in Northern Ireland in protest until its concerns have been addressed.

"Ultimately, Stormont will only function if the DUP supports any proposal," she added.

At Prime Minister's Questions earlier, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said any new deal would have to address the "fundamental constitutional issues" of how EU law applies in the region.

It was unacceptable, he added, that "EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland with no democratic scrutiny or consent".

Mr Sunak said he had heard the demands "loud and clear", adding that "addressing the democratic deficit is an essential part of the negotiations".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
UK Residents Gather to Watch Rare Partial Solar Eclipse
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice Faces Criticism Over Legal Threat Against Guardian Journalist
Michael Forsyth Elected Speaker of the House of Lords
Cambridge Researchers Launch £20 Million Human Organoid Drug Testing Programme
Heathrow Loses European Passenger Traffic Lead to Istanbul Airport
Households Near New UK Electricity Pylons to Receive £250 Annual Energy Bill Discount
UK Government Estimates Zero-Hours Contract Ban Could Cost Employers Up to £3 Billion a Year
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
UK Police Chiefs Urge Government to Block Early Release of Andrew Harper Killers
UK Government Holds Emergency Cobra Meeting as Drought and Heatwave Raise Wildfire Risks
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Five Percent
UK Government Moves to Ban Subscription Traps and Misleading Retail Discounts
Andy Burnham Gives Councils New Powers to Block Betting and Vape Shops
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
×