London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 05, 2025

UK's Sunak says Northern Ireland Brexit deal must address EU role

UK's Sunak says Northern Ireland Brexit deal must address EU role

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday any deal with Brussels over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade would address the issue of the British province being subject to the European Union's rules.
After the leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Jeffrey Donaldson asked if Britain would seek to address issues with the trade rules - known as the Northern Ireland protocol - by rewriting the Brexit treaty text, Sunak said he had heard Donaldson's concerns "loud and clear".

"He raised the question of practical issues, and it is vital that these are addressed but he also raises ... a vital question about the constitutional and legal framework in which these arrangements exist, and I can assure him that I agree," Sunak told lawmakers in parliament.

"Addressing the democratic deficit is an essential part of the negotiations that remain ongoing with the European Union ... this is at the very heart of the issues that must be addressed."

The exchange came as Britain and the EU edge closer to resolving their dispute over the protocol, which sets out the conditions for post-Brexit trade with the British province to avoid creating a hard border with EU member Ireland and to help protect the bloc's single market.

While recent media reports have speculated a deal is imminent, both Britain and the EU have repeatedly said over the last few days that they remain in "intensive" discussions after having made progress in talks.

Sunak spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by phone on Tuesday evening and they will speak again in the coming days, Sunak's spokesperson said.

Sky News reported the proposed deal being discussed would see the London-based government, rather than Brussels, set Northern Ireland's state aid policy and VAT sales tax rates.

British foreign minister James Cleverly addressed a meeting of lawmakers from the governing Conservatives on Wednesday, but did not give any detail on the possible deal, according to one lawmaker present.

"He said there's a number of hurdles to overcome yet. So I wouldn't hold your breath," Conservative Michael Fabricant told reporters after the meeting.

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government, like in Scotland or Wales, since last May due to the DUP's refusal to be part of the government over its issues with the protocol. Northern Ireland's 1998 peace deal says its main parties must form a power-sharing government.

Donaldson told Conservative lawmakers on Tuesday that his party was concerned with the application of some EU regulations or laws to goods produced in Northern Ireland.

Donaldson has also told Conservatives it was "quite wrong" for goods produced in Northern Ireland and destined for Britain to be subject to EU rules, especially when those rules might change over time and the province would still have to adhere to them without having any input in their creation.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×