Rishi Sunak flies to Belfast to meet Democratic Unionist Party leaders
Rishi Sunak dashes to Belfast to meet Democratic Unionist Party leaders and ‘agree long-awaited deal with European Union’ over Northern Ireland Protocol
- Rishi Sunak is ready to make a major announcement on Tuesday
- The deal is expected to satisfy both the EU and Democratic Unionist Party
Rishi Sunak flew to Belfast last night as a long-awaited deal with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol appeared imminent.
The Prime Minister is understood to be ready to make a major announcement on Tuesday if the remaining loose ends can be tied up.
Downing Street confirmed that Mr Sunak, who will try to finalise the deal with European leaders at a Munich conference this weekend, had gone to Belfast with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was reported to have set off for Brussels.
The deal is expected to satisfy both the EU and Democratic Unionist Party, which has been boycotting the Stormont assembly due to their opposition to the post-Brexit trade protocol.
A No 10 spokesman said that ministers wanted to make sure any solution ‘fixes the practical problems on the ground’.
Rishi Sunak flew to Belfast last night as a long-awaited deal with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol appeared imminent
‘The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are travelling to Northern Ireland to speak to political parties as part of this engagement process,’ he added.
Earlier this week DUP leaders declared themselves as the ‘final arbiters’ and said the agreement must meet their seven tests and adhere to the NI Protocol Bill.
The party’s chief whip Sammy Wilson said: ‘The fundamental issue to be dealt with is the democratic deficit and the constitutional damage done by the imposition of EU law. If this is not dealt with then the deal will fall short of what is required to restore the political institutions.’
Former deputy leader Nigel Dodds added: ‘If we give in on the Protocol and allow a foreign entity to make our laws, that will over time increasingly diverge our economy and our laws from the rest of the UK.’
‘It will push us more and more and more into the orbit of the Irish Republic and the EU. We cannot allow this situation to develop.’
Imposition of EU law in Northern Ireland through the European Court of Justice would be ‘wrong politically, constitutionally, morally’, he argued.
This week ex-Cabinet minister David Jones, deputy chairman of the European Research Group, warned: ‘Cosmetic changes just won’t work. The issue is sovereignty and that, frankly, can’t be the subject of compromise.’
The PM is expected to put the draft deal to the DUP for approval before final talks with EU leaders in Munich. French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are due to attend.
It is understood that if all goes well Mr Sunak will brief his Cabinet on Tuesday morning then announce the deal to Parliament later that day.
It was reported last month that the UK and EU had struck a deal on customs to avoid the need for routine checks on British goods entering Northern Ireland.
Source: Read Full Article