London politics latest LIVE: Rishi Sunak in ‘final talks’ with Ursula vonchief on Northern Ireland Brexit deal
Rime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have reportedly reached an agreement on new post-Brexit rules in Northern Ireland after talks on Monday afternoon.
Citing a senior government source, several media outlets including the BBC, Sky News and PA said an agreement had been reached.
This was followed by a meeting between the Prime Minister and the EU leader early Monday afternoon at a Windsor hotel. News of the apparent deal has sent the pound sharply higher against the US dollar.
Mr Sunak plans to brief his cabinet before giving voters and MPs the details of an agreed deal.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is yet to provide an answer and previously said it must read the final text before deciding whether to support it. If the party objects, it could still prevent the formation of a decentralized Northern Ireland government.
The deal could also see the prime minister square off against hard-nosed Brexiteers in his own backbenches.
MPs can reportedly vote on “part of the deal” but Downing Street has not fully committed to giving Parliament a vote.
live updates
What’s up on Monday?
- Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen met for final talks in Windsor, Berkshire
- Frau von der Leyen will sit down with the king for tea in the late afternoon
- The PM will hold a virtual cabinet meeting to update ministers on what he has been able to achieve
- Mr. Sunak and Ms. von der Leyen will hold a joint press conference at around 3.30 p.m
- The Prime Minister will travel to Westminster around 6.30pm to make a statement in the House of Commons
Sunak briefs cabinet on new deal
Ahead of a press conference, the PM briefed cabinet members on the reported new deal via a virtual conference call from Windsor.
MPs continued to arrive in London throughout the afternoon for the meeting at Downing Street.
Pound jumps after post-Brexit deal
The pound jumped higher after the UK and EU struck a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
Sterling rose 0.7% to $1.20 and rose 0.3% to $1.14 after a government source said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a landmark deal at a meeting in Windsor.
The FTSE 100 Index was also down 0.6%, or 50.7 points, at 7929.4 in Monday afternoon trade.
The deal aims to complete Brexit more than six years after the 2016 referendum and solve the trade problems created by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
get that latest updates here.
“Today is an opportunity to move forward”
Reacting to the deal, Northern Ireland Shadow Minister Peter Kyle said: “Today is an opportunity for Northern Ireland, the UK and the EU to move forward.
“Attention should be focused on the content of each protocol agreement. Labor stands ready to act in the interests of all Northern Ireland.”
Press conference confirmed
Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce the new deal.
Expected start is around 3:30 p.m.
“The deal is closed”
Prime Minister and EU leader Ursula von der Leyen have finalized the long-awaited deal to resolve the trade problems created by the Northern Ireland Protocol, a government source told PA.
“An agreement was reached. The deal is done,” they said.
Rishi Sunak hopes the deal gets the approval of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) so power-sharing can be restored in Northern Ireland to get Stormont back up and running.
Support for the DUP would also be key to persuading Tory Brexiteers to support the deal as pressure mounted on the Prime Minister to give MPs a vote in the House of Commons.
Agreement reached – reports
According to several reports, the UK and EU have reached a new deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
BBC Politics Editor Chris Mason was reportedly told by a senior government official that “the deal is done”.
Cabinet ministers meet at Downing St
Cabinet ministers have started to arrive in No. 10 ahead of Windsor’s Rishi Sunak, expected to hold a virtual meeting this afternoon.
He will outline the nature of a deal with Ursula von der Leyen to MPs this afternoon.
“Real attempt” to solve union problems
Irish Deputy Leader Micheal Martin said there had been “a real attempt” to resolve the issues with the protocol raised by trade unionists and that the potential deal looming presented an opportunity to reshape British-Irish relations.
“All these issues that have been raised, I think people will find a real attempt at an answer to these issues,” he told RTE.
“The European Union has listened to the concerns consistently expressed by the DUP, the UUP and others in Northern Ireland over the use of the Protocol.”
The Foreign Secretary added: “The Brexit situation, the protocol… have presented challenges to British-Irish relations over the past three years and I think resolving these issues will provide an opportunity to really reinvent British-Irish relations.” shape the future.”
Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Windsor
Rishi Sunak greeted the President of the European Commission outside the Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel in Windsor.
Discussions are ongoing before Ursula von der Leyen meets the king later in the afternoon.