Downing Street gives DUP legal ‘assurances’ that NI will remain in UK

Northern Ireland secretary throws lifeline to DUP leadership under pressure to reject revised Brexit deal

The government has promised to underline Northern Ireland’s place in the UK with legal “assurances” in an effort to convince unionists to back Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, said on Friday that the government would introduce legislation to allay Democratic Unionist party (DUP) concerns about the Windsor framework.