BILLIONS of pounds of investment from America will pour into the UK on the back of Rishi Sunak’s post-Brexit trade deal, Ministers hope.
The cash boost is being waved in front of wavering unionists in a bid to get them to back the Windsor pact agreed with Brussels.
Rishi Sunak and Ursula von de Leyen announce the Windsor Framework
But the extra finance is only expected to be pumped into the Northern Ireland economy once the political crisis is over in the province with pressure on to re-establish the Stormont Assembly, insiders say.
Backbench Tory MPs have also been told by Rishi Sunak that the agreement could even trigger talks over a free trade deal with the US.
The Prime Minister admitted he didn’t even discuss such an agreement with President Joe Biden when they met at the G20 in Bali in November.
But hopes of the DUP fully backing the proposed arrangements were dealt a blow as Sammy Wilson lashed out at the ‘Stormont brake’ which would allow the assembly to reject changes to EU goods rules.
He said: “The Stormont brake is not really a brake at all. It’s a delaying mechanism.”
He said the UK government would be reluctant to veto any law due to being “fearful of the consequences of trade for the rest of the United Kingdom” and “retaliatory action” from Brussels.
But senior Tory MP Richard Graham said it would be “very sad” if the DUP refused to accept the deal.
He said: “I think there is a strong feeling that this does make a difference for so many people in Northern Ireland .
“I think it’s going to be difficult for the DUP to strongly object to this, though they will probably say that it’s not perfect.”
