London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

NI Protocol deal by no means done, says Rishi Sunak

NI Protocol deal by no means done, says Rishi Sunak

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said a deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol is "by no means done".

The UK government is preparing to announce a new agreement on the post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland early next week.

But speaking at a summit in Germany on Saturday, Mr Sunak said there were still "challenges to work through".

He added: "There isn't a deal that has been done - there is an understanding of what needs to be done."

Some government insiders expect a debate and vote in the House of Commons next week.

Tuesday is seen as the most likely day, although the plans are said to remain "fluid".


'Very good progress'


For more than a year UK and EU negotiators have been attempting to strike a deal on changes to the controversial trade arrangement.

The prime minister held talks with European Commission President Ursula von de Leyen in Munich in an effort to secure that agreement.

Afterwards Downing Street said it was a "positive discussion" and there had been "very good progress to find solutions".

"Intensive work in the coming days is still needed at official and ministerial levels," said No 10.

His trip to the summit comes a day after a visit to Northern Ireland to pitch his proposals to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

It is among the most vocal critics of the protocol and is blocking the functioning of devolved government in Northern Ireland in protest against the trade rules.

Securing the party's support for any deal will be crucial for the future of the political institutions at Stormont.

After meeting the PM on Friday, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said "progress has been made across a range of areas".

But he said that Mr Sunak faced a "big moment" to agree to the "right deal" for Northern Ireland.


What is the EU saying about a deal?


The commission Vice-President Frans Timmerman said "things are progressing quite well" between the UK and the EU.

"There's a willingness on both sides to find a compromise, to find a way out," he said on Saturday.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar was briefed by Ms von der Leyen on the state of the negotiations on Saturday morning.

In their call he said he hoped for a "positive outcome that provides a new foundation for relations between the EU and the UK".

"Most importantly he hoped for an agreement that can pave the way for restoration of the institutions under the Good Friday Agreement," said his spokesman.


What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?


It is the trade deal that was agreed to ensure the free movement of goods across the Irish land border after Brexit.

It came into effect in 2021 and has resulted in checks on goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Unionist parties argue that placing an effective trade border across the Irish Sea undermines Northern Ireland's place within the UK.

The largest of those parties is the DUP, which is refusing to take part in Northern Ireland's power-sharing government until its concerns are resolved.

But a majority of members of the Stormont assembly are in favour of the protocol in some form remaining in place.

Sinn Féin, the Alliance Party and the SDLP have said improvements to the protocol are needed to ease its implementation.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×