New Brexit Deal Inching Towards Conclusion’
A new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland is not yet done but is inching towards a conclusion, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said.
The taoiseach said a protocol agreement could come within days but negotiators still have a gap to close.
He urged politicians from the UK, Brussels and Northern Ireland to go the extra mile.
Rishi Sunak told the Sunday Times he was hopeful of a “positive outcome”, saying: “I want to get the job done.”
He said: “As someone who believes in Brexit, voted for Brexit, campaigned for Brexit, I want to demonstrate that Brexit works and it works for every part of the United Kingdom.”
There had been plans for King Charles to meet the president of the European Commission in the UK on Saturday.
The planned meeting between the King and Ursula von der Leyen, originally reported by Sky News, was not part of the negotiations between the UK and the EU and multiple sources said her visit was cancelled due to operational reasons, unconnected to the political talks.
It is not known when she will now come to the UK, but the fact a meeting was planned is significant as it appears to indicate a Brexit deal was about to be done – and publicly presented – while Ms von der Leyen was in the UK.
Some had suggested a new deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol could be called the Windsor Agreement and include a moment in front of the cameras involving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ms von der Leyen.
The scheduled meeting was criticised by Mr Sunak’s critics, with Jacob Rees-Mogg – a senior member of the Tory Eurosceptic European Research Group – saying: “If there were a plan to bring the King in before there is domestic political agreement, it would border on constitutional impropriety.”
Both the UK and the EU have to make the choreography of an announcement work at a mutually convenient time and place.
Mr Sunak and Ms von der Leyen spoke by telephone on Friday and Downing Street said the prime minister had made good progress.
A source said afterwards that it had been “positive and negotiations would continue, with the leaders agreeing to discuss this further in coming days.”
BBC/Samuel Isaiah
