Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declined to say whether he would back any new deal negotiated by Rishi Sunak on the Northern Ireland Protocol, as talks continue between the UK and EU.
Mr Johnson pitched the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, put forward by his administration and which effectively rips up parts of the agreement with Brussels, as the best solution as he declined to say whether a new deal would have his support.
Mr Johnson, who now sits on the backbenches but who retains a loyal following within the Conservatives, appeared to warn against any settlement that would create "other problems".
It comes as negotiations between London and Brussels continue, following talks between Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and the EU's Maroš Šefčovič in Belgium today.
Government sources have downplayed the chances of an agreement being struck this week, with no announcement expected to come tomorrow, as it marks a year since Russia began its all-out assault on Ukraine.
Mr Johnson, in an interview marking the anniversary of the invasion, was asked briefly about the post-Brexit arrangement he negotiated and which has been the source of bitter political clashes in Belfast and Westminster.
He said: "I think that it is important to wait to see what there may be but I think the best way forward, as I said when I was running the Government, is the Northern Ireland Bill, which cleared the Commons very comfortably, I think unamended, when I was in office and only a few months ago.
"So, I think that is the best way forward."
The protocol, agreed as part of the UK's Brexit deal, effectively keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods, meaning checks on products crossing from Britain.
The situation led to the collapse of powersharing in Northern Ireland, with the DUP protesting about the barrier to trade with the rest of the UK.
Downing Street has set no deadline for resolving the issue, but the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April adds to the imperative of getting a deal soon.
The former prime minister was asked about his backing for any deal, but refused to say whether Mr Sunak could count on his support.
"I think the best thing is to continue with the Northern Ireland Bill that we agreed, it is a very good Bill, it fixes all the problems, it solves the problems we have in the Irish Sea, it solves the problems of paperwork, VAT and so on, it is an excellent Bill and doesn't set up any other problems in the economy of the whole island of Ireland," he said.
"So, I'd go with that one."
Fresh talks over NI Protocol amid delays in deal
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will attend talks in Belgium today, but British government sources downplayed the chances of an agreement being struck this week.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will not join the Northern Ireland Protocol meeting and is instead heading to New York for a United Nations meeting on Ukraine.
Time was running out for a deal to be struck today and no announcement is expected to come tomorrow, as it marks a year since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
European Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie said: "We continue our work with our EU counterparts, we're working hard to find joint solutions.
"Our exchanges are ongoing. I can confirm that vice-president (Maroš) Šefčovič will meet here in Brussels Chris Heaton-Harris later this afternoon."
Mr Sunak, however, faces potential pushback from the DUP and Brexit hardliners in the Tory party.
Asked about the concerns, EU spokesman Eric Mamer said: "We of course understand this is a sensitive issue, it has been since the beginning, this is also precisely why we've had all these conversations."
What is the NI Protocol?
The protocol is part of the Withdrawal Agreement - the international treaty under which the UK left the EU.
It was a compromise to prevent a hard border with checks on goods crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland and the EU's Single Market.
Under the deal, Northern Ireland left the EU along with the rest of the UK.
But the British government accepted that it would stay aligned with the EU’s Single Market rules for goods.
That allowed the checks to be done at Northern Ireland’s ports instead of along the 300-mile land border. It has been dubbed 'The Border in the Irish Sea'.
The EU’s rules on customs and regulation of agri-food products also continue to apply to goods arriving in NI.
