The British government's Secretary of State and Minister of State for Northern Ireland are split over their support for the next leader of the Conservative Party.
Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker has come out in support of Rishi Sunak, while Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said he was "calling for" Boris Johnson to run.
Mr Baker, a former chair of the hardline pro-Brexit European Research Group, said that whoever wins must stick to the UK's current policy on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Mr Sunak was the first of the two leading candidates to declare this morning, following outsider Penny Mordaunt's declaration on Friday.
"This isn't the time for Boris and his style," Mr Baker, an influential figure on the Tory right, told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday.
"I'm not willing to lay down my integrity for Boris Johnson," he said.
He added that Mr Johnson does not have the capacity to comply with "tedious rules" and warned that, with the Privileges Committee vote, "his premiership will implode".
However, Mr Baker suggested Mr Johnson could be an "amazing chairman" of the Tory Party.
On the same programme, Mr Heaton-Harris said Mr Johnson had the required number of nominations to be on the ballot.
"I'm calling for him to run, I'm trying to work out the numbers and we do have the numbers," he said.
"We need a leader with a proven track record of delivery," he added.
Mr Baker said Mr Sunak will follow through on the current protocol policy. "He will follow through on the current policy. Again, no one should be in doubt about this," he said.
He said the "current policy needs to be carried forward".
"The EU, and I hope they'll hear me, the EU should understand there's not going to be a change of policy," Mr Baker added.
In follow-up tweets after the interviews, Mr Baker described Mr Heaton-Harris as "the best boss I have ever had", adding that they "completely agree" on Northern Ireland policy.
"My complete respect and admiration for Chris will endure," he said.
Mr Heaton-Harris described Mr Baker as "one of the best ministers I've worked with".
"We work hand in glove on Northern Ireland issues. Just because we've come to a different decision doesn't change that in the slightest," he said.
"In other 'split' news he prefers lager and I prefer Guinness," he added.
Baker backs DUP in warning over Good Friday Agreement
Mr Baker, who infuriated Unionists by apologising to the Irish Government for his behaviour during Brexit negotiations, has now backed the DUP in warning about the demise of the Good Friday Agreement if the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute is not resolved.
He said that whoever wins the contest to become the next British Prime Minister must stick to the current policy.
That policy is that Westminster will introduce legislation to override much of the protocol if an acceptable solution cannot be reached in negotiations with the EU.
The minister of state at the Northern Ireland Office warned that the eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party would "implode" the British government if the policy changes.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney both welcomed his apology earlier this month and have said the mood music with the UK has improved.
But Mr Baker struck a very different tone this morning.
If the protocol issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of Unionists, he told the programme: "We won't be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement."
That echoes the words of a number of senior members of the DUP in recent weeks that any plans to celebrate the anniversary next April could instead become the "funeral" of the agreement.
"Everyone needs to understand that the legitimate interest of Unionists is to end the jurisdiction of EU law in Northern Ireland," Mr Baker said.
"Now that’s the hardest problem we need to solve, but we will not have devolved government in Northern Ireland until it’s done."
He added: "In the end we’ve got to end the jurisdiction of EU law in Northern Ireland."
Mr Baker is due to meet Mr Martin tomorrow when they attend and speak at a session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.
One of the topics for discussion is "Promoting British-Irish Diplomatic Relations".
Secretary calls on DUP to prevent election
Meanwhile, Mr Heaton-Harris has urged the DUP to reform powersharing at Stormont as an election deadline looms.
He said politicians in Northern Ireland have choices they can make to stop an election being called.
But he reiterated that there is a legal obligation on the UK government to call an election if the Assembly is not formed by Friday.
It comes as the Taoiseach called on the DUP to "honour" the mandate of the people of Northern Ireland by contributing to the restoration of the Stormont institutions.
Yesterday, Mr Martin said it does not appear that devolved government at Stormont will be restored by Friday's deadline.
Mr Heaton-Harris said that if six months passes without powersharing being restored after an election then another election has to be called.
"It's actually a legal requirement to call it then at one minute past midnight on 28 October," he said.
He added: "The Democratic Unionist Party have got an opportunity to come back in and it's really important actually, I think, that they do because there's so many domestic issues in Northern Ireland that would be helped by their re-entry into the executive.
"And they've got some really talented politicians themselves who can help solve those issues out.
"So there is a choice that people can make to stop their being an election.
"But it's got to be made by elected representatives in Northern Ireland going back in to that assembly.
"Without that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland would have to call an election this week."
There is less than a week to form a Stormont executive before the Secretary of State will be obliged by law to call a fresh assembly election.
The DUP is refusing to nominate ministers to form a new executive until the Westminster government takes decisive action on the protocol.
It argues that the post-Brexit arrangements hamper trade and place a border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Coveney frustrated by personnel changes
Mr Coveney has said it has been frustrating to deal with personnel changes in the British government at a time when Ireland wants to resolve issues with the protocol.
During his five years in his role, Mr Coveney said he had dealt with six secretaries of state, five foreign secretaries and four prime ministers.
"That is a recipe for instability and it is difficult to build relationships and build trust to find compromises on difficult and complex issues," he said.
Speaking to RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Coveney said it was unfortunate that it now seemed likely there would be another change in personnel in the Northern Ireland office.
He said the relationship between Mr Heaton-Harris and Mr Baker and his office has been "very good" in recent weeks and they had been starting to rebuild trust to find sensible solutions.
On the prospect of an election in Northern Ireland, Mr Coveney said it was not possible to resolve the DUP's issues before Friday's deadline as there was no British Prime Minster to negotiate with.
Minister for European Affairs @ThomasByrneTD on Direct Rule & the #NIAssembly: 'The consequences for the people in Northern Ireland will be catastrophic'
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Additional reporting Vincent Kearney, Sandra Hurley
