Rishi Sunak’s plan to get a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol over the line this week has suffered a setback as further talks with Brussels failed to reach agreement and frustration among his Conservative allies with hardline Brexiters bubbled over.
Despite a concerted effort to get the deal done, senior government sources now believe it is unlikely to be struck until next week at the earliest, amid concerns that a loss of momentum could increase the chance of it unravelling altogether.
