London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 2026

Northern Ireland Protocol deal: Moment of truth approaching for DUP

Northern Ireland Protocol deal: Moment of truth approaching for DUP

The moment of truth is fast approaching for the DUP.

The final pieces of a deal between the UK and EU are falling into place - even down to the title, with The Windsor Agreement being floated as an option.

Once published - most likely on Monday - the spotlight will fall on Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his party.

But don't expect a quick response, that is not the DUP way. The party will reserve judgement on any deal.

They will want to look beyond the headlines and study the legal text which will accompany the deal.

That will be the acid test - does it meet the party's key demands?

Though open to interpretation in parts, their demands deal with removing trade barriers across the Irish Sea and "restoring Northern Ireland sovereign place in the UK".

Fixing the "democratic deficit" will also be key for the DUP.

Expect to see a beefed up role for the assembly when it comes to deciding what EU legislation will apply in Northern Ireland.

But will it amount to more of a say in the decision making process, stopping short of a veto which the EU insist it will not allow.

That will be key and may require some constructive ambiguity to allow both the DUP and EU to sell the deal.

Crucially the new legal text which will "overlay" the previous legislation will allow the DUP to claim the protocol has been replaced, though the EU will argue the protocol remains intact with its original legal text unchanged.

Rishi Sunak could make another visit to Northern Ireland to try and shore up DUP support for a deal


Before passing verdict on the deal, the DUP will consult those businesses struggling under the burden of the protocol - the same businesses Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been trying to box off before publishing his deal.

If it works for businesses on the frontline then it adds more pressure on the DUP to say yes.

But the very fact the government is poised to publish the deal signals some level of DUP support.

To run the risk of a quick DUP rejection would have been reckless.

Don't rule out another last dash by the prime minister to Northern Ireland to shore up their support.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
×