‘The same as Theresa May!’ Boris warned he’s making catastrophic strategic error on Brexit – Daily Express

Under pressure from backbench MPs with fears of an imminent leadership challenge and a failure to make a breakthrough in talks with Brussels, the mood in Westminster feels eerily similar to Mrs May's time in No10. And the largest party in the power-sharing Executive of Northern Ireland has warned Mr Johnson risks throwing away the chance to make Brexit a success with his actions.

Sammy Wilson, the DUP's Brexit spokesman, attacked the Prime Minister for "pussyfooting around" as claimed the party had been left with no choice but to take Brexit into its own hands.

Earlier this week the party demanded officials stop implementing Brexit customs checks at the border.

They argued the checks had created trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, undermining its position in the United Kingdom.

For months the DUP has held off taking the action, putting its faith in Mr Johnson and the Westminster Government to deal with the problems caused by the Protocol.

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But Mr Willson accused the Prime Minister of being guilty of repeating the mistakes of Mrs May in dealing with Brussels, forcing them to intervene.

"We were led by the nose when Theresa May was Prime Minister, he's now let himself be led by the nose," the East Antrim MP told Express.co.uk.

"From the very start the Government allowed the EU to dictate the sequencing.

"Up until about three months ago they let the EU dictate the terms that there could be no renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

"And now the EU has accepted there can be a renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, they've allowed them to dictate how long these negotiations are going to take place.

"All along we've simply had the EU pulling the Government's strings.

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Despite the party's agriculture minister ordering civil servants for cease checking goods arriving at ports, officials are continuing to do so.

The order is subject to a legal challenge that will be heard by the High Court on March 7.

Northern Ireland's First Minister, Paul Givan, has also resigned in a bid to force the UK Government into action on the Protocol.

The UK Government says while it believes the threshold to trigger Article 16, the legal means to suspend aspects of the Protocol, has been met, it would rather negotiate a diplomatic solution to the problems caused.

Criticising Mr Johnson for failing to trigger Article 16, Mr Wilson said: "I would have thought at a time when his leadership is under some challenge, the very thing he should be doing to secure his leadership is standing up to the EU.

"It would be popular with his own backbenchers but even more, it would be in keeping with the idea he claims we've now taken back our sovereignty.

"It would be actual proof that we have taken back our sovereignty.

"Every day these talks are allowed to go on further is another indication that actually we're not a sovereign nation, we're a nation which still is dependent on the good will and acceptance of whatever changes there are coming from the EU."

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'The same as Theresa May!' Boris warned he's making catastrophic strategic error on Brexit - Daily Express