Brexit: Northern Ireland secretary ‘using peace process as bargaining tool’ over £300m linked to passing deal

Karen Bradley criticised after suggesting funding could be lost if MPs throw out the withdrawal agreement on Tuesday

The Northern Ireland secretary has been accused of using the peace process as a “bargaining tool”, after linking a £300m grant to the passing of Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

Labour said the suggestion the money could be lost if MPs inflicted a defeat was proof that Karen Bradley would “do anything to push through the prime minister’s botched deal”.

“As Northern Ireland secretary, she should be ashamed,” said Labour MP Tony Lloyd, her shadow.

“She needs to publicly guarantee funding for the peace process irrespective of the PM’s deal and apologise for such reckless and damaging comments.”

The controversy blew up after Ms Bradley announced a £300m package to support peace in Northern Ireland, including £109m from the EU, up to 2027.

Called PEACE Plus, the programme is the post-Brexit successor to a cross-border peace-building initiative that started in 1995.

However, in a newspaper article, Ms Bradley wrote that the “funding flows from our joint commitment within the EU in the withdrawal agreement”.

“It is a clear example of the certainty that the withdrawal agreement provides to the people of Northern Ireland and why it should be supported,” she said.

Current PEACE funding is only guaranteed until 2020, suggesting the future package was in jeopardy if MPs throw out the prime minister’s deal in next Tuesday’s showdown vote.

Asked if that was the case, Mr Bradley told reporters: “The legal basis upon which this can be delivered is the withdrawal agreement.

“It is set out in there and, if we leave the European Union without a deal, we will have difficulties in finding a way that the EU and Irish government can spend money jointly with the UK government in Northern Ireland on these important projects.”

She added: “As a government, to spend public money you need to have a legal basis to do so. The withdrawal agreement sets that out. That’s why we should vote for the withdrawal agreement on Tuesday in the House of Commons.”

Mr Lloyd said: “Karen Bradley is showing that she will do anything to push through the prime minister’s botched deal.

“She is willing to use the peace process in Northern Ireland as leverage and some kind of bargaining tool.”

The row comes after the Democratic Unionist Party, which has 10 MPs, rejected Ms May’s plea to rethink its determination to vote against the deal on Tuesday.

Because Sinn Fein refuses to take its seats at Westminster, no other Northern Ireland party will have a vote – despite polls suggesting strong public support for the controversial Irish border backstop.

The funding would enable work to continue on the construction of almost £1.8bn worth of projects in both Northern Ireland and Ireland.