Northern Ireland Protocol: Snacks ‘going all out’ for Brexit deal

Rishi Sunak has said he will “do everything” to secure a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland this weekend and hopes to “get the job done”.

But the prime minister said no deal had yet been made between the UK and the European Union.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said a trade deal between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was “close to conclusion”.

A source at No 10 explains that negotiations are positive.

The prime minister said a deal could be reached within days, but said there were still gaps in negotiations to close and this was “by no means guaranteed”.

He urged politicians in Britain, Brussels and Northern Ireland to “take the extra step” to cross the line.

The Northern Ireland Protocol, agreed under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after Britain left the European Union, remains a source of ongoing tension.

Northern Ireland continues to comply with some EU laws, allowing goods to flow freely across borders into the Republic of Ireland without checks.

Instead, goods arriving from England, Scotland and Wales are checked upon arrival at ports in Northern Ireland.

Some, including Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), feel this will undermine the country’s standing in the rest of the UK and affect trade.

The DUP also wants to reduce EU oversight of the rules, a concern that is currently preventing the formation of a devolved government in Northern Ireland.

The UK and the EU are in negotiations to move forward and appear to be on the verge of signing a new deal that the prime minister is trying to get his support.

talk Sunday Times From Downing Street, Snack said: “I’ve been here all weekend trying to make it through…we’re putting everything we have into it.”

He said he wanted to show that Brexit “works everywhere in the UK”, adding: “There is unfinished business with Brexit and I want to get the work done.”

“The idea that the EU can impose laws without having any say in Northern Ireland is unacceptable,” the Prime Minister said, adding it was important to ensure stability for the people of Northern Ireland. .

“It’s about people and communities in Northern Ireland,” he told the newspaper. “It’s about what’s best for them and that’s what everyone should have on top of their minds.”

Prime Minister Abe added in article Sunday Telegraph“Fixing this issue is fundamental to everything I believe as a Conservative, a Brexit supporter and a Unionist.”

Meanwhile, the BBC understands that King Charles was planning to meet the European Commission president in the UK on Saturday.

The King’s meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, first reported by Sky News, was not part of negotiations between the UK and the EU, and multiple sources said her visit was canceled for operational reasons. It is said that

It’s unclear when she will be in the UK, but the fact that talks were planned seems to indicate that the deal was about to be made and announced publicly while she was in the UK.

Others suggested that the new agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol could be called the Windsor Agreement.

Earlier, a DUP source told the BBC that no weekend meeting on the protocol was scheduled.

DUP leader Sir Geoffrey Donaldson said: “The aim of London and Brussels should not be to rush, but to get this right.

“Wrong deals will not restore power sharing, but will deepen divisions for future generations.”

The prime minister faces further pressure from some Conservative MPs over Northern Ireland’s current obligation to be accountable to the European Court of Justice in accordance with several EU laws.

Euroskeptic Tory MP Sir John Redwood said: “The UK needs to resist the EU imposing legislation on Northern Ireland. The EU needs to get the Unionists on its side.”

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a trade agreement negotiated during the Brexit negotiations. This allows goods to be transported across Irish borders without checks.

Before Brexit, both sides were subject to the same EU rules, so it was easy to transport goods across this border. A special trade deal was needed as Northern Ireland shares a border with the Republic of Ireland, which is part of her EU after the UK leaves.

The EU has strict food regulations and border controls are required for certain goods such as milk and eggs arriving from non-EU countries.

Due to Northern Ireland’s troubled political history, land borders are a sensitive issue. As part of these checks, there were concerns that cameras and border posts could lead to instability.

The UK and EU have agreed that upholding the Northern Ireland peace deal (the Good Friday Agreement) is an absolute priority.

As such, both sides signed the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

It is now part of international law.