Rishi Sunak to take PMQs as talks resume on nurses’ pay but Brexit deal announcement remains on hold – UK politics live

Johnny Mercer, the veterans minister, was the government voice on the media this morning. Asked about the Northern Ireland protocol, he said Rishi Sunak was “not going to sell anyone out”. He told Sky News:

Let’s give the prime minister a chance to come out with something.

He’s attacking this, he is throwing everything he can. He voted for and campaigned hard for Brexit, right?

So he is not going to sell anyone out or come up with a solution that is unfair or doesn’t deliver on what he thinks is Brexit.

I think, let’s give him a chance, let’s give him an opportunity to bring some sort of resolution to the protocol and then let’s get behind him and get on with all the other challenges we face as a country at the moment.

Mercer is not involved in the Northern Ireland protocol talks. Ministers are given lines to take by No 10 before they do a media round, but often, when talking about subjects outside their portfolio, they don’t seem to know much more than a reasonably well-informed commentator. Asked if there would be a deal this week, Mercer replied: “I don’t know, I hope so.”

Good morning. Rishi Sunak is taking PMQs today. It comes as two of the biggest problems in his in-tray edge closer to resolution, although as yet there is no guarantee that either story will end in something that counts as a success.

The i has had a similar briefing.

In its story, it says:

One minister told i they were not aware of colleagues threatening to quit and another suggested such rumours were just veiled threats to keep the PM on his toes. A source close to the PM dismissed talk of resignations, arguing they were “flippant remarks” from junior ministers.

The Treasury has indicated in a private memo, seen by the Financial Times, that public sector awards of up to 5 per cent for 2023-24 would have only a “low risk” of setting a benchmark for protracted high private-sector pay growth.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.50am: Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, speaks to the NFU conference.

10am: The privileges committee meets in private. At some point soon it is due to announce details of when it will take evidence for its inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs about partygate.

10am: The Special Immigration Appeals Commission will rule on whether Shamima Begum should have her British citizenship restored.

10.30am: The high court hears a case brought by the Good Law Project challenging the Metropolitan police’s failure “to properly investigate Boris Johnson’s attendance at three lockdown gatherings”.

12pm: Rishi Sunak faces Keir Starmer at PMQs.

After 12.45pm: MPs debate all stages of the Northern Ireland (executive formation) bill, which will remove the legal requirement for an election this year because power-sharing has not been restored.

2.15pm: Simon Thompson, the Royal Mail chief executive, gives evidence to the Commons business committee, which recalled him in response to claims he did not tell the truth when he appeared before it in January.

5pm: James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, speaks at a private meeting of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee.

And at some point today Steve Barclay, the health secretary, will be holding talks with the Royal College of Nursing about pay.

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