Is Boris Johnson’s honeymoon period as prime minister coming to an end?

Concerns over the deal to restore power-sharing at Stormont could spark the first Tory rebellion against the new government, writes Benjamin Kentish

Johnson talks of ‘hand of the future’ after talks at Stormont (Reuters)

It did not take long for Boris Johnson’s honeymoon period to come under threat. Just a month after the general election, the prime minister is facing anger from his own backbenchers over two seemingly contradictory promises on Northern Ireland.

On the one hand, the deal struck last week to restore power-sharing at the Stormont Assembly includes a promise to establish an investigations team to look into unsolved murders during the Troubles.

On the other, the Conservative manifesto promised that the party would “introduce new legislation to tackle the vexatious legal claims” against current and former members of the armed forces.