Brain of Brexit fears DUP could be bought into backstop U-turn

One of the key brains of the Brexit campaign has expressed concern that the DUP might do a U-turn on the backstop in return for money. In comments which are implicitly withering, Dan Hannan said it was possible that the DUP would back down because “unionism has a materialistic side”. Two weeks ago Mr Hannan said that “government strategists believe that the DUP is looking for an excuse to climb down and that, if it does so, the ERG will follow”. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hannan, a Tory intellectual who is respected on the right of the Conservative Party, noted the reports of Mrs May hoping “to induce the DUP to vote for a deal that has been expressly designed to weaken the Union”. He said that under the backstop “Northern Ireland would remain under the regulatory control of the EU, but have no representation there.