A summary of today's developments
Rishi Sunak has given a statement in the House of Commons after unveiling a deal with the EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland. He said the deal “permanently removes any sense of a border in the Irish Sea”.
The PM said the agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the the UK, protects Northern Ireland’s place in the Union and that the legal text of the protocol has been amended to ensure critical VAT and excise changes for the whole of the UK can be made and “safeguards sovereignty for the people of Ireland”.
Sir Keir Starmer says Labour will back the deal which he says will improve the UK’s international standing.
Boris Johnson is believed to still be considering the new deal on the protocol negotiated by Rishi Sunak. A source close to the former prime minister told PA he is continuing to study and reflect on the government’s proposals.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says the party will now study the deal but welcomes the spirit of “partnership and compromise”.
The Democratic Unionist party (DUP) withheld judgment on the deal to end the dispute over the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed “significant progress” in the UK-EU deal but cautioned that concerns remained and said the party would take time to analyse the text.
DUP MP Ian Paisley told Newsnight that the deal “does not cut the mustard”.
Former prime minister Theresa May called on her colleagues to support the Windsor framework in the vote.
Downing Street declined to confirm whether MPs will get a straight yes or no vote on Rishi Sunak’s Windsor framework. The prime minister’s spokesperson said “there will be a vote”, but did not give details on timing or in what form. Pressed on timing, he said: “Our intent is to allow parties and parliamentarians to have the proper time to consider this before bringing forward a vote.”
That’s it from us tonight – thank you everyone for following along with this extended Politics Live liveblog. Here’s our full story:
Updated
The Commons statements have now concluded after two-and-a-half hours.
Updated
Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis said in the Commons: “It sounds as if the reserve plan here is the Stormont brake, but … that might not apply if for any reason Stormont was not sitting.
“So is the prime minister satisfied that there is a plan B that would work under all circumstances?”
Sunak replies: “This is incredibly important, because what we should be focused on is Stormont being up and running.”
He added: “It’s entirely right that we have vested this power, this sovereignty, in the institution that represents them, and not exercise it on their behalf.
“But instead our priority should be getting the institutions back up and running so that sovereignty is restored and the people of Northern Ireland are in control of their destiny.”
Updated
DUP MP Gregory Campbell tells the PM: “Does he agree with me… that just as years ago the representatives of nationalism in Northern Ireland needed to be content with governance arrangements in Northern Ireland, then equally now the representatives of unionism have to be content with governance arrangements going forward?”
Sunak said he believes the framework would deliver on their objectives and on the issue of the role of the European Court of Justice, he said: “Ultimately it is for the people of Northern Ireland to decide.”
Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh told the PM: “I can assure him, many of his colleagues on these benches are watching the DUP very carefully, and we will go where they go.”
Sir Edward added: “It all depends on our colleagues in the DUP. Because unless this exercise gets Stormont up and running, it’s pretty futile, indeed it might be downright dangerous.”
Sunak responded: “This is also about the people of Northern Ireland. It’s about the communities in Northern Ireland, the businesses in Northern Ireland, and whatever happens with the politics, those people will benefit from this agreement … and this framework ensures that we have resolved their concern and the challenges that they face, and they must be uppermost in our mind.”
Updated
During the Commons debate there have been a lot of tributes paid to Betty Boothroyd, the first female speaker of the House of Commons, who died aged 93.
Updated
Former home secretary Sajid Javid earlier urged Sunak to use the agreement to “form the basis of further cooperation with our EU friends on issues that will matter to the entire United Kingdom, including for example trade and investment, science cooperation, and illegal migration”.
Updated
Although the PM has been praised by a lot of MPs across the political spectrum over the deal there is some scepticism from the DUP benches.
DUP MP Gavin Robinson said: “Does he [the PM] recognise that having had so many false dawns and failed starts over the last four or five years of political commitments, that ratification will need to occur before we can take any final decisions?”
Sunak says he will give the DUP the time it needs to consider the agreement and will answer any questions.
“I acknowledge the frustrations that they feel about what has gone before but I hope today means we can start a new chapter,” he added.
Updated
DUP MP Jim Shannon believes the PM will not get support for his deal from unionists if it fails to pass their tests for removing the influence of Europe’s highest court over Northern Ireland.
He told the Commons: “You are my Prime Minister so I say this with great respect: This is about more than just solar panels and sausages. It is crucial that the Windsor Framework which you have referred to does not become the ‘Windsor knot’ for us unionists in Northern Ireland.
“Does the PM understand that any deal which does not include the cessation of the European Court of Justice’s interference in the UK sovereignty – in other words the real power must lie with Westminster, not with Brussels.”
He added: “The Prime Minister can strike no deal ever without bringing the majority of unionists on board and to push another deal through this House without unionist buy-in will offer no result other than another failed deal.”
Sunak replied: “I look forward to engaging with him and his colleagues as they study the detail so that we can hopefully move forward together, but I am confident that this is a good basis and a good agreement for the people of Northern Ireland.”
Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill has tweeted: “I welcome negotiations between London & Brussels have concluded & a deal has been struck.
“The economic possibilities this opens up must be seized to better people’s lives.
“The onus is on the DUP to end its boycott of the executive, & join with the rest of us to make politics work.”
Updated
Sunak reiterates that the European Court of Justice will continue to have the final say on EU single market issues.
Updated
European leaders have voiced hopes of turning a page with the British government, following a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol intended to end the poisonous disputes of the Brexit years.
“This new framework will allow us to begin a new chapter,” the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said at her joint press conference with Rishi Sunak. “It provides for long-lasting solutions that both of us are confident will work for all people and businesses in Northern Ireland.”
Ireland’s foreign minister, Michéal Martin, said he shared the hope “that today’s announcement allows the EU and the UK to open a new chapter in their relationship”, describing the two allies as “natural partners in addressing the global challenges we face, whether supporting Ukraine or addressing climate change”.
EU diplomats gave a cautious response to the Windsor framework, the 26-page document that will sit alongside the legally binding Northern Ireland protocol, which remains in place. To avoid leaks the EU’s most senior diplomats and MEPs were only briefed on the contents of the agreement on Monday, after Von der Leyen and Sunak revealed some details to the world.
Updated
Sunak said it will be for “us”, the UK government, to decide whether the threshold for the Stormont brake has been met.
Meanwhile, Sir John Redwood asked Sunak “who will decide which EU laws would apply in Northern Ireland and on what basis will they make that decision”.
The PM replied “when the executive is up and running, as I hope very much that it will, it will be for the Assembly in Northern Ireland to decide”.
Ian Paisley, of the DUP, has been asking the PM about the impact the deal will have on the agriculture and farming sector.
He points to what he sees as a potential issue over the arrangement for veterinary medicines and asks whether it will be fixed or whether it is a “failed process already”.
Paisley said the veterinary agreement is “useless” for Northern Ireland because it is provisional and will expire in 12 months.
Sunak says the agreement on veterinary medicine lasts until 2025, which will give both sides time to come to a more permanent agreement.
Sunak would not be drawn on when parliament would have a say on the agreement when asked in the commons.
Conservative MP Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, said: “Whilst respecting entirely and agreeing … that parties, particularly those in Northern Ireland, need the time and space to study the detail and to work out all of the implications for those in Northern Ireland, Northern Irish business wants and the good people of Northern Ireland most certainly deserve quick certainty.
“So if there are to be votes in this place on any element of the Windsor framework as announced today, can my right honourable friend commit to ensuring that those votes take place speedily in order to ensure that certainty and peace of mind?”
Sunak said: “Parliament will of course have its say and there will be a vote. But we will need to do that at the appropriate time as we give people the time and space to consider the detail.”
Updated
Sammy Wilson, of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party, told the Commons he did not have full confidence in the agreement.
He said hundreds of thousands of pages of EU law remained in Northern Ireland, border posts are still being planned to be built and future EU laws will apply to Northern Ireland, bar the Stormont brake.
“Can he [the PM] understand why we don’t have confidence in that and why we still fear that our position in the UK is not going to be restored by this agreement?”
Sunak says border posts only exist for checks in the red lane.
He said a functioning green lane depends on the enforcement of a red lane and that less than 3% of EU law applies in Northern Ireland, which will be subject to a consent vote next year.
“There is a balance to be struck,” Sunak repeats.
Updated
Stephen Farry, of Northern Ireland’s Alliance party, says it broadly welcomes the agreement but has “massive concerns over the Stormont brake”.
He told the PM: “The key test is the preservation of Northern Ireland’s dual market access and in that regard, my party has massive concerns.
“There are real dangers that this process could add more instability into the assembly.”
He added the Stormont brake and what that means for the introduction of new EU laws would create more uncertainty for businesses.
Sunak said the Windsor framework struck the “right balance”, a phrase he has used frequently today.
Updated
Here is the full story on The Democratic Unionist party (DUP) withholding judgment on the deal to end the dispute over the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol, leaving the fate of power-sharing in the region hanging in the balance.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed “significant progress” in the UK-EU deal announced on Monday but cautioned that concerns remained and said the party would take time to analyse the text.
Boris Johnson 'still considering the new protocol'
Boris Johnson is believed to still be considering the new deal on the protocol negotiated by Rishi Sunak.
A source close to the former prime minister told PA he is continuing to study and reflect on the government’s proposals.
Updated
Former Brexit secretary David Davis describes the new deal as a “spectacular negotiating success”.
He says the Stormont brake mechanism is “extraordinary” and without international precedent.
Updated
Colum Eastwood, of the Social Democratic and Labour party, says there has been “an awful lot of talk about the concerns of the DUP and the unionist community” rather than the concerns of Irish nationalist communities.
He says most people in Northern Ireland opposed Brexit and want to see the benefits of dual market access.
Sunak says it is right that a “balance must be struck” between the needs of different communities in Northern Ireland and he sought to achieve this with the framework.
He says he knows businesses in Northern Ireland value access to the single market.
Updated
Bronwen Maddox, Chatham House director and chief executive, on the announcement of the Windsor framework.
Maddox said: “The Windsor framework should overcome many of the problems with trading with Northern Ireland.
“The most fiddly bit - which has caused a lot of angst – is the Stormont brake, which means that the Northern Ireland assembly can stop new EU single market rules applying.
“However, it does not tell us what would happen if a Northern Ireland assembly is not sitting, which is one of the big things to watch to see whether this gets through parliament.
“Labour has been careful to say this is for the good of the country and that it allows the UK to work out its future relationship with Europe.”
Updated
Here is some reaction from Labour MPs Chris Bryant and Jess Phillips to Sunak’s comments about the Windsor framework.
This is pathetic. @RishiSunak is praising himself for getting rid of impediments to free trade that only came about because of the Johnson/Sunak deal (which they said would lead to no checks in the Irish Sea). They’re cleaning up their own mess.
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) February 27, 2023
Rishi Sunak stood slagging off the deal that was written by... checks notes the government he was second in command of. He's acting as if it was a different government.
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) February 27, 2023
Updated
From the Guardian’s Jessica Elgot.
In cabinet readout, AG Victoria Prentis says the legal basis for NIP Bill, the doctrine of necessity, "had now fallen away thanks to successful negotiation of the agreement."
— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) February 27, 2023
Worth saying we reported this a month or so ago, though it was denied Prentis changed the legal advice
Updated
The PM also confirmed the Northern Ireland protocol bill would be dropped following the new agreement, explaining that the legal justification for it had lapsed.
He told MPs: “Now that we’ve persuaded the EU to fundamentally rewrite the treaty texts of the protocol, we have a new and better option.”
Updated
Sunak said the Stormont brake has been introduced by “fundamentally rewriting the treaty”, telling MPs: “If the veto is used, the European courts can never overturn our decision.
“The EU have also explicitly accepted an important principle in the political declaration. It’s there in black and white – the treaty is subject to the Vienna convention.
“This means that unequivocally that the legal basis for the Windsor framework is in international law.”
Updated
Davey: Lib Dems will 'study deal closely'
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says the party will now study the deal but welcomes the spirit of “partnership and compromise”.
Updated
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson says his party’s opposition to the protocol has been vindicated.
He told the Commons: “It is clear that significant progress has been secured across a number of areas while also recognising there remain key issues of concern.”
Donaldson added the party would now analyse the deal to see whether it meets the DUP’s seven tests to endorse an agreement on Northern Ireland.
Updated
Anton Spisak, from the Tony Blair Institute, has given this reaction to the framework.
Spisak, who played a leading role in Brexit negotiations in 2018 and 2019 as a senior policy adviser in the Cabinet Office and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, said: “The Windsor framework is a substantive set of revisions to how the Northern Ireland protocol will operate in the future. In seeking a negotiated settlement through investing significant political capital with the EU, Rishi Sunak has secured concessions which his predecessors failed to achieve.
“Sunak deserves credit for showing pragmatism and the EU for demonstrating maximum flexibility.
“The framework builds on a number of proposals put forward by the Tony Blair Institute last year – especially in exempting goods moving from Great Britain and staying in Northern Ireland from checks in the Irish Sea and giving elected Northern Irish representatives an enhanced role.”
Updated
In response to Steven Flynn asking why Scotland doesn’t have access to the single market, Sunak says he is a “passionate unionist” and believes the UK is stronger together.
Former PM Theresa May calls on her colleagues to support the Windsor framework in the vote.
The SNP’s Steven Flynn asks what is the difference between today’s agreement and Boris Johnson’s “oven ready” deal but says he is broadly supportive of the Windsor framework.
Downing Street said it would not be helpful to speculate on the restoration of Stormont after the agreement of the Windsor framework.
“I don’t think it would be helpful for us to start speculating on the restoration of the executive at this point. I think that first and foremost that is a question for them,” the PM’s spokesperson said.
“There is now an important choice for all parties in Northern Ireland, given we feel this creates the right conditions, but obviously it is a question for them.”
Downing Street said not all elements of the deal required Stormont to be sitting to be implemented.
Updated
Downing Street has declined to confirm whether MPs will get a straight yes or no vote on Rishi Sunak’s Windsor framework.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said “there will be a vote”, but did not give details on timing or in what form.
“In terms of timing for the vote, obviously that will be set out by the leader in due course. I don’t have the specifics,” the official said.
Pressed on timing, he said: “Our intent is to allow parties and parliamentarians to have the proper time to consider this before bringing forward a vote.”
Updated
Starmer also adds: “It will enable the people of Northern Ireland to participate more freely in the economic life of the UK.
“It has our full support. The protocol will continue to ensure there is no physical border on the island of Ireland. That is essential.
“We know that any physical border would be a source of tension, a physical manifestation of new barriers between communities in Northern Ireland and economic life in the Republic.
This agreement will allow us to move forward as a country, rather than be locked into endless disputes with allies.”
Updated
Starmer added: “The moral core of the Good Friday agreement is simple.
“All people of Northern Ireland have the right to identify themselves, and be accepted, as Irish, or British, or both.
“And freely participating in the economic life of the UK or the Republic of Ireland is an essential part of that.
“That is why it is good that the deal before us will see fewer unnecessary checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“The ‘red and green lane’ proposal is a good one. It will make life easier for business.”
Updated
Labour vows to back new agreement
In response to the new protocol, the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, tells the commons: “I have been clear for some time that if the prime minister were to get agreement with the EU and if that agreement is in the interests of this country and Northern Ireland then Labour would support it.
And we will stick to our word. We will not snipe.
“We will not seek to play political games. And when the prime minister puts this deal forward for a vote, Labour will vote for it.
“The protocol will never be perfect. It is a compromise.
“But I have always been clear that, if implemented correctly it is an arrangement that can work in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.
“And that now it’s been agreed, we all have an obligation to make it work.”
Updated
Attempting to win over hardline Brexiters, Sunak said: “I know some members of this house, whose voices I deeply respect, say that EU laws should have no role whatsoever in Northern Ireland.
“I understand that view. I am sympathetic to it. But for as long as the people of Northern Ireland continue to support their businesses, having privileged access to the EU market – and if we want to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, as we all do – then there will be some role for EU law.”
Updated
Sunak also cites seamless travel for pet owners from the UK to Northern Ireland.
Sunak says the UK’s medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) will now authorise medicine for every pharmacy and hospital including in Northern Ireland, and that there will be no role for the European Medicines Agency.
Updated
Sunak speaks of his frustrations that “when I cut VAT on solar panels or beer duty on pubs [as chancellor of the exchequer], that didn’t apply in Northern Ireland. Now we have amended the legal text of the treaty so critical VAT and exercise changes apply to the whole of the UK”.
Updated
Sunak adds the deal reduces red tape on sending parcels, allowing online retailers to do more business in Northern Ireland and permitting businesses to use the green lane to ship parcels.
Updated
The PM says the Windsor framework “permanently removes the border in the Irish Sea”.
Updated
Sunak says visual inspections at the border will be cut from 100% to 5%.
And lorry drivers will be required to show just one digital certificate for goods going to Northern Ireland.
From the Telegraph’s Christopher Hope.
No sign of Boris Johnson or Liz Truss in the Chamber. #Brexit #WindsorAgreement
— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) February 27, 2023
The PM says if a product “is available on supermarket shelves in Great Britain, then it will be available in supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland”.
“This means the ban on British products like sausages entering Northern Ireland has now been scrapped.”
Under the Northern Ireland protocol, retail food products made to UK standards could not be sold in Northern Ireland.
He adds red tape will remain on any foods moved to Northern Ireland that risk bringing in animal or plant diseases.
Updated
Sunak adds the deal has permanently protected tariff-free movement of all types of steel from Northern Ireland.
And for goods going the other way, they have scrapped export declarations.
Updated
Sunak says there will be a “green lane” for goods destined for Northern Ireland, with customs bureaucracy minimised and more data sharing.
Routine checks and tests will be scrapped except those aimed at preventing smuggling and criminality. There will be a separate “red lane” for goods going to the EU.
Updated
Sunak said the problem with the protocol was “it treated goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland as if they were crossing an international customs border” which created extra costs and paperwork for businesses, “limited choice for the people of Northern Ireland, and undermined the UK internal market”.
Updated
There are loud howls of laughter as Sunak pays tribute to his “predecessors for laying the groundwork for today’s agreement”.
Sunak adds the framework “does what many said couldn’t be done, removing thousands of pages of EU laws and making permanent legally binding changes to the protocol treaty itself”.
The PM says the Windsor framework delivers free-flowing trade within the whole of the UK, protects Northern Ireland’s place in the union and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
Updated
Sunak makes statement to MPs on new Northern Ireland deal
Rishi Sunak has entered a packed House of Commons and is about to make a statement on his Brexit deal.
Updated
Diplomats expressed caution about pronouncing on the agreement, with several saying they had not seen the text of the so-called Windsor framework. Senior officials from the EU’s 27 member states were being briefed on the contents on Monday afternoon.
Nevertheless, EU insiders hope it will mark an important step towards restoring EU-UK relations.
“Now that the delusional Brexit bubble has been burst by reality, I am glad that a pragmatic solution has been found to resolve the challenges surrounding the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland,” said Luxembourg MEP Christophe Hansen, who speaks for the centre-right European People’s party on trade issues.
Nathalie Loiseau, a French MEP and close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, struck a cautious note, promising her centrist group Renew would “fully scrutinise” the proposals.
“We note the flexibility demonstrated by the EU and wish that this agreement can create long-awaited stability for Northern Ireland and satisfactory protection of the single market for businesses, workers and consumers,” she said.
Updated
Rishi Sunak told his cabinet in a virtual meeting that he believes “with his head and his heart” that the Windsor framework is a “good deal for everyone in Northern Ireland”.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “The prime minister said the government had achieved something very special with the Windsor framework.
“He said they had secured what many said was impossible, making legally binding changes to the protocol treaty itself.
“The prime minister concluded cabinet by saying the protocol had been causing significant problems for communities and businesses and that he passionately believed with his head and his heart that the new agreement was a good deal for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
Agreement signed.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 27, 2023
Today is about preserving the delicate balance of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and charting a new way forward for the people of Northern Ireland.
Updated
Former Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers said she has not decided how she will vote on Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit deal.
She told the PA Media news agency: “I’m not reaching a view on the deal until I have read it.
“We need to do everything we can to create the conditions for the restoration of power-sharing government and the fact that Northern Ireland has been without a government for so long is destabilising the Good Friday Agreement.
“I very much hope that this deal stands up to scrutiny and it opens the way for the restoration of devolved government but we can’t be certain of that until we have gone through it.”
Updated
NI protocol deal 'does not cut the mustard', says DUP's Ian Paisley
DUP MPs, like Conservative MPs, do not all share the same views on Brexit, and the party’s position on the Northern Ireland protocol has in part been driven by Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley, who are notably more hardline than the leadership.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the party leader, issued a non-committal but reasonably positive (at least, by DUP standards) statement about the protocol deal earlier. (See 5.22pm.)
But Paisley (son of the former DUP leader and former first minister with the same Christian name) has delivered a much more critical verdict, telling Nicholas Watt from Newsnight that the deal “does not cut the mustard”.
Break: Ian Paisley, the DUP MP, tells me: the Windsor Framework “does not cut the mustard”. It provides no basis for the DUP to go back into government + Rishi Sunak needs to enter fresh negotiations with the EU
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) February 27, 2023
Ian Paisley dismisses the Stormont Brake which allows the Northern Ireland assembly to block EU legislation if it has a big and lasting impact on NI. He says the brake is in the boot of the car under the spare wheel and impossible to reach
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) February 27, 2023
That is all from me for today. My colleague Nadeem Badshah is now taking over.
TUV leader Jim Allister says 'effectively protocol stays' under UK-EU deal
The DUP has adopted a hardline approach to the Northern Ireland protocol partly because in last year’s assembly elections it saw its share of the vote fall, while the Traditional Unionist Voice, a much smaller and more intransigent unionist party, saw its vote share by almost an equivalent.
Giving his response to the deal announced today, Jim Allister, the TUV leader, said that he wanted to read the document thoroughly. But he said that his priority was for the existing protocol to go, and that his initial impression was that “effectively the protocol stays and all that has gone is the government’s protocol bill”.
Initial response to EU/U.K. Government announcement. pic.twitter.com/30K6S3IETk
— Jim Allister (@JimAllister) February 27, 2023
Government confirms it is abandoning Northern Ireland protocol bill, in snub to Boris Johnson
In his press conference Rishi Sunak was not asked about the Northern Ireland protocol bill. But in its document on the “Windsor framework”, the government says it is shelving the bill for good. It says the EU has also agreed to drop its legal action against the UK for non-compliance with the protocol. The document says:
Overall the agreement delivers on the core objectives that the government set out previously in the command paper of July 2021 and the Northern Ireland protocol bill in June 2022, such that it is no longer necessary to proceed with the bill. In tandem, the EU will no longer proceed with the seven separate legal challenges it had brought against the UK in relation to the protocol.
This is not a surprise, because it was widely expected that the government would formally drop the bill (which has been stalled in the House of Lords since Rishi Sunak became prime minister) once an agreement was reached.
But it is a direct snub to Boris Johnson, who last week was not only saying that the bill should not be shelved, but that it would provide a better solution to the problems caused by the protocol than a deal with the EU would.
The bill would allow the UK to unilaterally ignore parts of the protocol. But yesterday the Sunday Times published extracts from the legal advice provided to Johnson when he was PM saying the bill would not work. In their report Tim Shipman and Caroline Wheeler wrote:
Now, a leaked summary of the legal advice given to Johnson when he was PM suggests even that if the bill became law, it may not be worth the paper it is written on, and would not give the UK a sustainable alternative to Sunak’s deal.
The summary, circulating in Whitehall, states that “the auspices of necessity” under which the government proclaimed the bill lawful “only provides a temporary justification” for ignoring the treaty with the EU.
Furthermore, it says “there would be a high likelihood the EU would challenge this argument in international arbitration” and that “the UK would have to pay reparations to the EU, even in arbitration” should Brussels take out infraction proceedings against the UK.
The killer line is a direct quote in the full legal advice. It says that, in these circumstances, “the UK would have an international law obligation under the WA to comply with any ruling of the CJEU”, the Whitehall acronym for court of justice of the European Union.
Updated
Sinn Féin describes NI protocol deal as 'turning point' and urges DUP to end its boycott of Stormont
Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin president, has welcomed the deal on the Northern Ireland protocol. She said her party would study the detail, but she expressed no reservations about it, described the deal as a “turning point”, and urged the DUP to end its boycott of Stormont. She said:
We have always said that a deal was reachable with positive, constructive solutions at its heart.
We have been firmly of the view that both the EU and British government must maintain the elements of the protocol that work well, and make it easier through joint agreement for businesses to grasp the opportunities of the protocol with minimal disruption to continue to create jobs and strengthen the economy.
We are now at a turning point and that is good news for business and wider society. People in the north want and deserve certainty and stability.
The economic possibilities the protocol opens up must be seized to benefit people in the north.
The onus is now on the DUP to end its blockade of Stormont and join with the rest of us and make politics work.
Updated
DUP says NI protocol deal shows 'significant progress' has been made - but EU law remains applicable
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, has issued a lengthy statement on the “Windsor framework” Northern Ireland protocol deal. He is not fully backing it, but in the circumstances he is reasonably positive.
He is saying that “significant progress” has been made, but that “in some sectors of our economy EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland”.
Here is an extract.
In broad terms it is clear that significant progress has been secured across a number of areas whilst also recognising there remain key issues of concern. There can be no disguising the fact that in some sectors of our economy EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland.
The DUP will want to study the detail of what has been published today as well as examining the detail of any and all underpinning legal texts. Where necessary we stand ready to engage with the government in order to seek further clarification, re-working or change as required.
Ultimately the party will now assess all these proposed outcomes and arrangements against our seven tests, outlined in our 2022 assembly election manifesto, to determine whether what has been published meet our tests and whether it respects and restores Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.
The DUP’s seven tests did not directly say that Northern Ireland should be removed from the remit of EU law under the new version of the protocol. But recently some DUP figures have been saying that should be a red line.
Updated
How 'Stormont brake' would operate
The “Windsor framework” paper explains how the “Stormont brake” will work. It says:
The Stormont brake will apply to changes to EU customs, goods, and agriculture rules within the scope of the original protocol, with a specific process to follow to trigger it:
When the institutions are restored, the trigger for the brake will operate on the same basis as a separate ‘petition of concern’ within the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement, as updated by the New Decade, New Approach agreement in 2020, allowing a concern to be raised based on 30 MLAs from two or more parties coming together to sign a petition …
The brake will not be available for trivial reasons: there must be something ‘significantly’ different about a new rule, whether in its content or scope, and MLAs will need to show that the rule has a ‘significant impact specific to everyday life’ that is liable to persist.
The brake will be available to MLAs to apply to specific elements of new goods rules changes or to the entirety of a new law. Even if only a limited part of an EU directive or regulation is changed, the brake can still be used if the new content of the rules are significant and the impact will be damaging.
Once the UK notifies the EU that the brake has been triggered, the rule in question is suspended automatically from coming into effect. It can then only be subsequently applied in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU both agree to that jointly in the joint committee. This would give the UK an unequivocal veto – enabling the rule to be permanently disapplied - within the joint committee. This new safeguard in the treaty is not subject to ECJ oversight, and any dispute on this issue would be resolved through subsequent independent arbitration according to international, not EU, law.
This means the cross-community consent will not be required for the “Stormont brake” to apply. Early I said it seemed likely that it would, but that turned out to be wrong. But 30 MLAs (out of the 90 in the assembly) would have to be in favour, from at least two parties. The DUP currently has 25 seats in the assembly.
Government publishes full details of 'Windsor framework' deal on NI protocol
Here is the full text of Rishi Sunak’s statement at the opening of his press conference.
Here is the UK government’s 27-page document on the Windsor framework.
Here is the five-page political declaration agreed by the European Commission and the UK.
And here is the 74-page legal text.
Further documents related to the deal are here, on the government’s website.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says he does not want to see 'fragile egos' wreck NI deal for political gain
Colum Eastwood, the leader of the nationalist SDLP, said his party would study the text of the deal in the coming hours. But he said he did not want to see it wrecked by “fragile egos”. He said:
Our primary goals have been to retain the benefits of dual market access for businesses in Northern Ireland, restore the democratic institutions of the Good Friday agreement and to send politicians back to work in the interests of all our people.
My appeal to political leaders is to approach this moment in good faith and with a common determination to restore our assembly and executive. People have been badly let down with no government for far too long. It is time to abandon the politics of division and deadlock.
To those intent on intervening in this process to bolster their own political position I would say this – do not attempt to wreck this deal, to demolish the hope of a resolution that serves the people of Northern Ireland. Do not let fragile egos inflict further damage to our fragile settlement.
The SDLP will approach this deal in good faith determined to get to work.
His comments seemed to be aimed in particular at some of the most hardline unionists, and Tory Brexiters like Boris Johnson.
Updated
What Sunak said about 'Stormont brake' - and why it may be hard for DUP to oppose
The most interesting part of the press conference was probably what Rishi Sunak said about the deal including a “Stormont brake”, which will allow the Northern Ireland assembly to stop new EU single market rules from applying in the region.
He said the agreement “safeguards sovereignty” for Northern Ireland as a result. It had been reported that the deal would give the Northern Ireland a right to be consulted on new single market rules; but this goes further, because the assembly would be able to block new rules applying in Northern Ireland.
Sunak said:
The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the framework is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Ireland business to continue accessing the EU market.
But I know many people in Northern Ireland are worried about being subject to changes in EU goods law.
To address that, today’s agreement introduces a new Stormont brake.
Many have called for Stormont to have a say over these laws, but the Stormont brake goes further and means that Stormont can in fact stop them from applying in Northern Ireland.
This will establish a clear process for which the democratically elected assembly can pull an emergency brake for changes to EU goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday lives.
If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto.
This feature of the deal – assuming Sunak has described it accurately, and that critics do not find a catch when they get to inspect the small print of the deal – will make it hard for the DUP to oppose the deal.
That is because, for the brake to apply, power sharing at Stormont would have to be restored. That would require the DUP to allow the assembly to start sitting (by backing the election of a speaker) and to lift its boycott on participating in the power-sharing executive. The DUP has said it will only do this if it gets a deal it finds acceptable.
If the DUP were to continue to boycott the executive, the “Stormont brake” would not apply. And the alternative would not be no protocol; it would be Northern Ireland still being in the single market but not having the veto as described by Sunak.
The text of the agreement has not been published yet, but it should be available by the time Sunak addresses MPs, or soon after.
UPDATE: The original version of the post included paragraphs saying it was likely cross-community consent would apply to the Stormont brake. But the full text of the document shows it doesn’t (see 5.08pm), and so I have taken those paragraphs out.
Updated
EU to re-admit UK to Horizon science research programme
Q: Will this deal allow the UK to participate in the EU’s Horizon programme?
Von der Leyen says, as soon as the deal is agreed, the EU will begin the process of admitting the UK into the Horizon programme. That is good news for researchers, she says.
That’s it. The press conference is over.
Von der Leyen is now heading off for a meeting with the king. And Sunak will be travelling back to London, where he will be making a statement to MPs at 6.30pm.
Updated
Sunak says MPs will get vote on NI protocol deal - but they will get time to consider it first
Q: Will you have a vote on this deal? And how tough will you be on Boris Johnson if he does not support it?
Sunak says parliament will have a vote. But he will give MPs time to digest the deal first.
But ultimately this is not about him, or politicians, but about people in Northern Ireland, he says.
He says these changes will make “an enormous difference”.
Updated
Sunak admits EU law will continue to have role in Northern Ireland
Sunak says that under the deal there will continue to be a role for EU law in Northern Ireland. That is a consequence of it staying in the single market, he says. But he says there is a powerful brake over what EU laws can do in Northern Ireland.
Von der Leyen says the “Stormont brake” plan is based on the petition of concern mechanism in the Good Friday agreement.
The “Stormont brake” will be an emergency mechanism.
She says there are also proposals for consultation, which might avoid the need for this.
Updated
Von der Leyen says the result of the negotiation is “extraordinary”. She thanks the teams involved.
Sunak says this is about what is best for the people of Northern Ireland. He implies they matter most – not the political parties.
The deal could make a positive difference to people’s lives in Northern Ireland almost immediately, he says.
Updated
Sunak says he expects DUP and other parties to 'take time' to evaluate protocol deal
They are now taking questions.
Q: If the DUP do not go back into government in Northern Ireland, will this be a failure?
Sunak says he has spent a lot of time listening to unionist concerns, and he thinks this will address them.
He understands that parties in Northern Ireland will want to “take time” to consider what is on offer. He respects that.
UPDATE: Sunak said:
This framework will start making a positive difference to people’s lives in Northern Ireland almost immediately. And regardless of all the politics of this, I think that it’s something that hopefully all of us can recognise and celebrate.
I also recognise that parties and communities across Northern Ireland will want to take the time to consider the detail of what we’re announcing today. And we should give them the time and the space to do that. And I fully respect that.
Updated
Von der Leyen says the agreement protects the hard-earned peace arrangements.
She condemns the shooting of a Northern Irish police officer last week.
The Windsor framework will benefit people in Northern Ireland, and support all communities, she says.
Updated
Ursula von der Leyen says she and Rishi Sunak knew they had to listen to each other’s concerns to get a deal on the protocol.
They were both genuinely committed to finding a practical solution for all communities in Northern Ireland.
She says they can take pride in the fact they have delivered.
The Windsor framwork will allow them to begin a new chapter, she says.
The new Windsor framework is here to benefit people in Northern Ireland and support all communities celebrating peace on the island of Ireland. And this is why I believe we can now open a new chapter in our partnership. Stronger EU-UK relationship, standing as close partners, shoulder to shoulder now and in the future.
She says the deal will ensure that all food available in Great Britain is available in Northern Ireland, and all medicines available in Great Britain will be available in Northern Ireland at the same time.
Updated
Sunak says 'Stormont brake' will allow NI assembly to stop new EU single market rules applying in Northern Ireland
Sunak says a “Stormont brake” will allow the Northern Ireland assembly to stop new EU single market rules applying in Northern Ireland.
If the brake is pulled, the UK government can apply a veto, he says.
Updated
Sunak says some of the rules that restricted what was allowed in Northern Ireland can change. He says UK tax changes can apply, pets will be allowed to be taken from Britain to Northern Ireland more easily, and the supply of medicines will be made easier.
We’ve amended the legal text of the of the protocol to ensure we can make critical VAT and excise changes for the whole of the UK, for example alcohol duty, meaning our reforms to cut the cost of a pint in a pub will now apply in Northern Ireland.
Updated
Sunak describes how the green lane scheme will remove the need for checks on goods going from Great Britain for use in Northern Ireland.
This will remove any sense of a border in the Irish Sea, he says.
UPDATE: Sunak said:
Today’s agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the United Kingdom. Goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new green lane with a separate red lane for goods at risk of moving on to the EU.
Food retailers like supermarkets, restaurants and wholesalers will no longer need hundreds of certificates for every lorry and we will end the situation where food made to UK rules could not be sent to and sold in Northern Ireland. This means that if food is available on supermarket shelves in Great Britain, then it will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland.
Updated
Sunak says 'Windsor framework' will mark start of 'new chapter' in UK-EU relations
Sunak says he and Von der Leyen have changed the protocol, and are now announing the “Windsor framework”.
He says the UK and the EU have had their differences, but they are friends. This is the beginning of a “new chapter”.
UPDATE: Sunak said:
I’m pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough.
Together we have changed the original protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor framework.
Today’s agreement delivers smooth-flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom, protects Northern Ireland’s place in our union and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
Updated
Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen hold press conference
Rishi Sunak opens the press conference.
He says he welcomed Ursula von der Leyen to Windsor to continue the talks on the protocol, and they have made a decisive breakthrough.
In a blog on the protocol deal, Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, says that he thinks the deal will not be enough to persuade the DUP to return to power sharing. He says:
For what it’s worth, DUP sources tell me they will take days to determine whether Sunak’s deal does what he’ll insist is written on the tin. So it will be some time before we know whether the DUP is prepared to end its block on the devolved government in Northern Ireland – though my hunch is the DUP will ultimately be disappointed and the assembly and executive in the province will NOT belatedly be reconstituted.
Updated
Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt says Tory MPs are pleased and surprised by how much Rishi Sunak seems to have obtained from the protocol deal.
Word amongst Tory MPs in the tea room is @RishiSunak has pulled off quite a deal. One tells me: “It is absolutely jaw dropping what @RishiSunak has managed to get out of the EU.” Early signs from Tories familiar with DUP thinking: they are encouraged
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) February 27, 2023
This is from Stephen Farry MP, deputy leader of the Alliance party in Northern Ireland. The Alliance party is not aligned to either the unionist or nationalist community.
Very encouraged that UK and EU have concluded a deal on the Protocol. The preservation of dual market access and reduction of barriers are the key tests for us. We will be studying the Agreement in that context.
— Stephen Farry MP (@StephenFarryMP) February 27, 2023
My colleague Jessica Elgot is in the room where Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen will be holding their press conference. She points out that, if Sunak wanted to give his deal a royal flavour, he’s definitely in the right place.
Nothing to do with the Royals, this deal. No Royals near it, no sir. pic.twitter.com/1CwisnXGVB
— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) February 27, 2023
Ben Chu, Newsnight’s economics editor, says Keir Starmer is right to say Poland is currently on course to become wealthier per head than the UK. (See 10.23am.)
Is the Polish economy set to overtake the UK's as @Keir_Starmer argues today?
— Ben Chu (@BenChu_) February 27, 2023
I had a look at this a while ago using the IMF's GDP per head projections and the answer is basically yes...https://t.co/6CJp2H4gZA pic.twitter.com/xzb8s9fEZu
And this is from Bloomberg on the rise in the value of the pound.
Pound extends gains above $1.20
— Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) February 27, 2023
It comes after the news of a deal between the UK and the EU to end a post-Brexit dispute on Northern Ireland
Markets Today: https://t.co/QnFeeKtU6i pic.twitter.com/lxkjblNgkB
Pound rises after UK and EU reach deal on NI protocol
The pound has jumped higher after Britain and the EU secured a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland in a move set to end long-running tensions following the UK’s withdrawal, PA Media reports.
Sterling leaped 0.7% higher to 1.20 US dollars and was 0.3% up at 1.14 euros after a government source said the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, had signed a breakthrough deal at a meeting in Windsor, Berkshire.
The FTSE 100 index was also trading 0.6% or 50.7 points higher at 7929.4 in afternoon trading on Monday.
The deal is set to finalise Brexit more than six years after the 2016 referendum, and to resolve the trading issues created by the Northern Ireland protocol.
Updated
BBC News has broadcast footage from Rishi Sunak’s meeting with Ursula von der Leyen.
Updated
This is from Lucid Talk, a polling company based in Northern Ireland, on the latest polling on the protocol, and to what extent it needs to change for the DUP to re-enter the power-sharing executive at Stormont.
With a possible UK-EU NI Protocol deal, here is LT's last polling re. the issue (Jan23). Could be said the DUP need the 37% of Unionists who 'may accept' a deal onboard, added to the 21% of Unionists who already say 'Yes'. Tho 41% of Unionists want the protocol removed completely pic.twitter.com/jwxLiO7Gqj
— LucidTalk (@LucidTalk) February 27, 2023
Rishi Sunak has flagged up his press conference on Twitter. It is due to start at 3.30pm.
This afternoon I will hold a press conference with the President of the European Commission @vonderleyen on Northern Ireland.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 27, 2023
Watch live online on my channels. pic.twitter.com/NKHG1Uza5s
Nadine Dorries, the former culture secretary, and Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland minister, have both been leading Tory Brexiters. But they did not agree on whether Boris Johnson should be removed. Dorries still defends Johnson to the hilt, and she has posted a scathing tweet about Steve Baker’s support for Rishi Sunaks’s protocol deal. (See 12.37pm.)
Of course @SteveBakerHW gushing about the deal. He was a key agitator to remove @BorisJohnson
— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) February 27, 2023
We are 28p behind in the polls since.
What shred of credibility he has left would be destroyed if he came out against Sunak. He has nowhere else to go other than to grin and support.
Dorries also suggests she does not believe No 10 when it says the decision to invite Ursula von der Leyen to meet the king was primarily a matter for Buckingham Palace. (See 12.27pm.)
Either No10 is lying or Buckingham Palace.
— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) February 27, 2023
I know which one my money is on. https://t.co/hE0CuLh2R5
Updated
UK and EU agree deal on NI protocol
The UK and the EU have agreed a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol, a government source has said.
#Breaking Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen have struck a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol, a senior Government source has said pic.twitter.com/CxkfHOp2lt
— PA Media (@PA) February 27, 2023
UK government source says a deal has been done on the Northern Ireland Protocol, via @piperliza
— Kylie MacLellan (@kyliemaclellan) February 27, 2023
Updated
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson says his party will take its time to evaluate NI protocol deal
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, has described the Irish News story saying his party will accept the Northern Ireland protocol deal (see 1.25pm) is “entirely fictional”. He says his party will take its time to evaluate the deal.
Anonymous sources strike again. We’ll take our time to consider the detail and measure a deal against our seven tests. PS - A busy day and no dinner planned either - story entirely fictional. Let’s stick to the facts @irish_news pic.twitter.com/vwSgyVBYGp
— Jeffrey Donaldson MP (@J_Donaldson_MP) February 27, 2023
Updated
Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, says the region should be celebrating its moment in the political sun. Speaking ahead of the announcement of the protocol deal, he said:
We should all be very grateful considering what’s going on in the world for so much attention to be placed on Northern Ireland, to see so much political capital being expended not just in London but in Brussels and Washington.
Industry groups do not have advance sight of the deal but gave government a detailed list of issues to solve centring on VAT, governance, state aid, and the implementation of the revised protocol.
Starmer says he would put increasing growth ahead of raising taxes as means of funding public services
Keir Starmer’s speech this morning, announcing details of Labour’s mission to give the UK the highest sustained growth in the G7 (see 10.55am), was short, and has been overshadowed by the Northern Ireland protocol meeting. On another day it would make bigger news. Plenty of economists have warned that the British economy is growing so slowly that we are at risk of becoming poorer than countries like Poland, but Starmer may be the first leading politcian to say so explicitly and prominently (see 10.23am).
Here are some of the other points from the speech and Q&A.
Starmer accused the Tories of putting Britain in a “low wage, high tax, doom-loop”. He said:
Here in this document - the mission: secure the highest sustained growth in the G7. A measurable goal. An invitation for the British people to judge us on whether they feel better off after five years of a Labour Government.
But also - the building blocks of a clear strategy, the first steps of a credible, long-term plan.
A plan which represents the determination of my party to create more wealth, lead Britain out of its low wage, high tax, doom-loop.
Previous Labour leaders have been associated with taxing wealth. Today Starmer sounded more interested in creating it.
Starmer said Britain was at risk of experiencing a “brain drain” if low growth continued. He said:
I’m not comfortable … with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by Poland.
Nor am I prepared to accept what the consequences of this failure would mean.
I don’t want a Britain where young people, in our great towns and cities, are left with no option but to get out.
A brain drain - not just to London or Edinburgh, but to Lyon, Munich, and Warsaw.
That’s not the future our country deserves.
He accepted that his plan for a “mission-led government” was not good retail politics. “Retail politics” refers to a form of campaigning that involves engaging directly with voters, but it is also used to refer to making very specific promises to voters. Yesterday Ed Balls, the former Labour cabinet minister and shadow chancellor, criticised the five missions announced by Starmer, saying:
I didn’t think they were yet very retail. They weren’t going to be talked about by voters on the doorstep.
Referring to this during the Q&A, Starmer said:
I know there are people saying [mission-led government] is not very retail. Well, true. But if you want to fix your economy in such a way that actually helps people pay their bills at the end of the day, raises their living standards, you’ve got to do the fundamentals.
Starmer said he would put promoting growth ahead of raising taxes as a means of funding better public services. Asked about tax policy, he said:
I want to create an economy where growth is the answer we give before tax or spend. Let me just spell it out. If the growth in the last 13 years had been at the same rate as growth under the last Labour government, we would have £40bn pounds more to spend on our public services without raising a penny in tax. That is why my first answer on tax is always growth. Because if you are just taxing a diminishing return, you are not really going to get anywhere.
He also said he wanted the tax burden on working people to be “as low as it possibly can be”.
He suggested that he was willing to issue more visa for foreign workers to fill labour shortages – but stressed that this was not a long-term solution to the problems faced by businesses. Asked about his policy on migrant workers during the Q&A, he said:
We recognise the short-term problem and we are not going to be anti-business or anti-growth or anti-farming about this and allow short-term problems to create long-term problems.
But we do have to get ourselves off the idea that migration is the answer to all of our problems.
We’ve had a skills problem in this country for decades.
The DUP is expected to accept Rishi Sunak’s protocol deal, Susan Thompson is reporting in a story for the Irish News. She says:
The DUP is expected to accept the protocol deal currently being finalised by the prime minister with the European Union.
According to a source with knowledge of the DUP’s thinking, a dinner has been pencilled in for this evening in London with party supporters to explain the DUP’s rationale for their acceptance of the deal. The date of the dinner will be dependent on when the PM and the EU announce the new deal.
Sammy Wilson, the DUP chief whip, is expected to explain the DUP’s position.
If correct, this would be a very positive result for Rishi Sunak. But Thompson does not say in her report when the DUP might signal its acceptance of the deal. Other reports suggest the DUP might want to take their time before coming to a final assessment, not least to allow time to read the legal text.
And if the DUP does accept the deal, that will be quite a climbdown for some of its MPs. In an article for the Sun on Sunday yesterday Ian Paisley, the DUP MP, said the deal would be unacceptable unless it involved the removal of the current protocol. He wrote:
Perhaps the PM will turn magician and conjure up a rabbit out of the hat.
But I don’t think there are any rabbits — or even a hat to pull them from.
If his plan involves keeping any part of the protocol the DUP will not be going back into power-sharing. It is that simple.
This sounded like an impossible ask. The new deal will sit alongside the current protocol, but the EU has always refused to tear up the current text.
Exclusive: DUP expected to accept NI Protocol deal. Sammy Wilson is expected to explain the DUP's position. https://t.co/kZCkWoia6K pic.twitter.com/MxHOM1bYr0
— The Irish News (@irish_news) February 27, 2023
Updated
Ursula von der Leyen and Rishi Sunak have both been tweeting about their meeting in Windsor, which is due to start around now.
Their press conference will take place at 3.30pm.
I’m glad to be in the UK today to meet with Prime Minister @RishiSunak.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2023
I’m looking forward to turning a page and opening a new chapter with our partner and friend. pic.twitter.com/GuyMzy2wbj
I’m looking forward to meeting @vonderleyen in Windsor today for further talks on the shared, practical solutions to the range of complex challenges around the Northern Ireland Protocol. https://t.co/AL5PXCrSJd
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 27, 2023
Rishi Sunak will deliver a statement to MPs about his protocol deal at 6.30pm. But MPs will get details earlier, from Sunak’s press conference with Ursula von der Leyen.
TODAY:
— Labour Whips (@labourwhips) February 27, 2023
One statement - @RishiSunak - Northern Ireland Protocol Update at 1830
(No UQs and no other statements)
There will be a minute silence after prayers for Betty Boothroyd with formal tributes tomorrow
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, has restated (see 11.22am) his opposition to the king meeting Ursula von der Leyen on the day the Northern Ireland protocol deal is being unveiled. He said:
It is surprising that the king will meet Ursula von der Leyen today as it antagonises the people the prime minister needs to conciliate.
It is also constitutionally unwise to involve the king in a matter of immediate political controversy.
(As stated earlier, when Rees-Mogg was leader of the Commons in 2019, he dragged the late queen into political controversy by asking her to prorogue parliament to limit the opportunity for MPs to block Brexit. The supreme court ruled this unlawful.)
Updated
Steve Baker, NI minister and former ERG chair, describes protocol deal as 'fantastic result'
At the weekend the Sunday Telegraph said that Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland minister who used to be chair of the European Research Group, and who resigned from Theresa May’s government over her Brexit deal, was “understood … to be on resignation watch after being frozen out of negotiations” on the protocol.
Not any more. This is what Baker told reporters a few minutes ago when he came out of Downing Street, where he has been attending a briefing on the deal.
I can only say this – the prime minister is on the cusp of securing a really fantastic result for everyone involved.
Updated
No 10 implies it was Buckingham Palace's decision for king to meet Ursula von der Leyen
At the Downing Street lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson defended Rishi Sunak’s decision to advise the king to meet Ursula von der Leyen today, but suggested that the decision was “fundamentally” one for Buckingham Palace.
The spokesperson said:
[The PM] firmly believes it’s for the king to make those decisions.
It’s not uncommon for His Majesty to accept invitations to meet certain leaders, he has met President Duda [of Poland] and President Zelenskiy [of Ukraine] recently. He is meeting with the president of the EU today.
Buckingham Palace has implied Downing Street had the final say in allowing the meeting to go ahead. (See 11.25am.)
At the lobby briefing, asked why the final protocol talks were taking place in Windsor, the PM’s spokesperson said:
There are a number of occasions when these sorts of talks have been held on significant occasions, this is no different.
Updated
Getting king to meet EU chief as protocol deal being announced will 'go down very badly', says former DUP leader
The European Commission’s statement about Ursula von der Leyen’s meeting with the king not being part of the protocol process (see 11.58am) may have come too late. Arlene Foster, the former DUP leader and former first minister of Northern Ireland, says it was “crass” for No 10 to schedule the meeting and that it will “go down very badly” in Northern Ireland.
I cannot quite believe that No10 would ask HM the King to become involved in the finalising of a deal as controversial as this one. It’s crass and will go down very badly in NI.
— Arlene Foster DBE PC #ProudofNI. (@ArleneFosterUK) February 27, 2023
We must remember this is not the King’s decision but the Government who it appears are tone deaf.
Updated
The European Commission says Ursula von der Leyen’s meeting with the king is not part of the Northern Ireland protocol deal process, the BBC’s Jessica Parker reports.
#EU chief @vonderleyen's audience with the King is “not part” of the NI Protocol talks process, says the European Commission.
— Jessica Parker (@MarkerJParker) February 27, 2023
Her meeting with His Majesty is described as “separate” to the discussion she’s having with #UK PM Rishi Sunak.
Updated
Betty Boothroyd, first female speaker of House of Commons, has died
Betty Boothroyd, the former Labour MP and first woman to be speaker of the House of Commons, has died. Holding the role from 1992 to 2000, she was the first person to be elected speaker after the Commons debates started being permanently televised in 1989 and her ebullient performance in the chair helped to make parliamentary proceedings, and particularly PMQs, compelling viewing for a niche TV audience.
In a tribute, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the current speaker, said:
Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone I was proud to call my friend.
To be the first woman speaker was truly ground-breaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache.
She was from Yorkshire, and I am from Lancashire – so there was always that friendly rivalry between us. But from my point of view, it was heartening to hear a northern voice speaking from the chair.
She stuck by the rules, had a no-nonsense style, but any reprimands she did issue were done with good humour and charm.
Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.
Updated
Nigel Farage says it is 'disgraceful' Sunak has asked king to meet Von der Leyen, and implies Charles should have refused
That did not take long. Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip and then the Brexit party, has said it is “absolutely digraceful” that Rishi Sunak is getting the king involved in the optics around the unveiling of the Northern Ireland protocol deal.
Interestingly, in a video message on the topic, Farage does not just criticise Sunak. He seems to criticise the king too, implying that he should have refused to meet Ursula von der Leyen. Farage says:
So it is Northern Ireland protocol day and the unelected Ursula von der Leyen is making her way to Windsor. Yes, Windsor has been chosen, it’s going to be called the Windsor agreement, and guess what? The king is going to meet her this afternoon.
I think this is absolutely disgraceful of Rishi Sunak to even ask the king to get involved in something that is overtly political in every way.
But I wonder whether the king had to accept. I wonder whether the king is taking a very big chance with that section of the electorate, that section of this country, that actually are his biggest supporters.
The unionists like the monarchy, they want to like Prince Charles. This is going to put the most enormous strain on it.
I find it hard to believe that Sunak is continuing with Windsor, and that The King will meet with Ursula von der Leyen this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/CwW1vpoXu9
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) February 27, 2023
Updated
According to Cameron Walker, the royal correspondent at GB News, Buckingham Palace has stressed that the king is meeting Ursula von der Leyen this afternoon on the advice of the government.
BP Spokesperson: “The King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the Government’s advice that he should do so.”
— Cameron Walker (@CameronDLWalker) February 27, 2023
Updated
Ursula von der Leyen to meet king when she visits Windsor to unveil protocol deal with Sunak
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, will meet the king when she is in Windsor today, PA Media is reporting.
European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will meet with the king at Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon, the PA news agency understands.
Von der Leyen will be in Windsor for a press conference with Rishi Sunak at around 3.30pm when the protocol deal will be unveiled. We do not know yet whether she will see the king before that, or afterwards.
The meeting is likely to be hugely controversial because it suggests that No 10 is trying to create the impression that the protocol deal has royal endorsement. At the weekend there were even suggestions that Downing Street wants the deal to be known as the Windsor agreement. Unionists tend to be arch-monarchists, and there have been suggestions that this is some crude ploy to use the king to win over the Democratic Unionist party. But the unionists are also inherently suspicious of the intentions of the UK government, and hyper-alert to signs that they are being manipulated, and so, if this is the No 10 plan, it is likely to backfire.
At the weekend, when it was first reported that the king might be involved in some way, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory Brexiter, said:
If there were a plan to bring the king in before there is domestic political agreement, it would border on constitutional impropriety.
Rees-Mogg, of course, is something of an expert on constitutional impropriety. As leader of the Commons in 2019, he went to Balmoral to get the Queen to agree to prorogue parliament – a move subsequently ruled unlawful by the supreme court because it was done with the intention of limiting the time MPs would have to debate Brexit.
Updated
Labour sets out how it wants to be judged on whether it is meeting its growth 'mission'
Here is the Labour party document giving details of its “mission” to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7. This is one of the five missions announced by Keir Starmer last week. Labour calls this an “ambition”, not a target, and Starmer said he wanted to achieve it by the end of the first term of a Labour government.
Today’s document gives more details of how Labour wants to be judged on whether it is fulfilling this mission. It says (bold text from original document):
We will hold ourselves to account for achieving this mission by measuring progress against clear outcomes.
On growth, we will measure the annual rate of GDP per capita growth compared to other countries using data published by the ONS (Office for National Statistics), as well as data and forecasts from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the OECD. Our ambition is to have the highest growth in the G7 over consecutive years by the end of the parliament.
We will measure living standards using official measures of disposable income for the median household. Our ambition is to eliminate the gap between the median British family and those in France and Germany, making progress in closing the gap by the end of the parliament. We will also measure regional and sub-regional living standards using measures published by the ONS, including gross disposable household income per head.
We will measure productivity in regions of England and nations of the UK using ONS data on output per hour worked. Our ambition is productivity growth in every region and nation by the end of the parliament.
We will measure the availability of good jobs in every part of the country using a range of metrics that cover different aspects of working life in different industries.
The document also sets out the policies by which Labour hopes to achieve this. They are all policies that have been announced before, but in this document they are pulled together and presented as the “first policy steps” towards achieving the mission.
Updated
Q: Do you want to allow young workers from the EU to come to the UK to address labour shortages?
Starmer says Labour is more likely to favour using the visa scheme to address this. Labour will not be anti-business, and it does not want labour shortages to gum up business.
But he says he wants to fix the fundamentals too. This is what mission-led government is about. He concedes this offer is “not very retail” (ie, it is hard to sell to voters as a reason for voting Labour), but it is important for the government to be focused on the long term. He says he does not want to be focused just on sticking-plaster politics, he says.
And that’s it. The Q&A is over. I will post a summary soon.
Q: Why do you say you will back the PM’s deal when you have not seen the detail? And would you like to see Northern Ireland within the scope of the European court of justice, or outside it?
Starmer says he knows Northern Ireland well and knows the detail. Any deal will be an improvement on the status quo. That is why he is saying he would back it. He says the deal will not come as a surprise.
He says the ECJ would have to play a part.
Updated
Q: How would you change Brexit to promote growth?
Starmer says “we are fooling ourselves” if we say Brexit is the only thing holding back growth. Growth was poor before Brexit, he says.
He says when he talks to businesses, they say stability is their priority.
But he does think there are improvements that can be made on Brexit, he says. They go beyond changes to the protocol.
Q: Would you increase personal taxes after the election?
Starmer says he wants to see an economy where growth comes before tax and spend.
His first answer on tax is always growth, he says.
He says he wants to ensure the tax burden on working people is as low as it can be.
He says, if the current government had increased growth as much as the last Labour government, the government would have £40bn more for public spending.
Q: Do you want people to get a real living wage, not just the minimum wage?
Starmer says he does want to see people get higher wages. But he says this could be determined by a process.
But people will not get higher wages unless there is genuine growth, he says.
So a growth policy is a policy for higher wages, he says.
He says the model for growth that Labour wants would increase living standards everywhere. He does not want a model that just promotes growth in the south.
Keir Starmer has finished his speech now. I will post more from it when I have seen the full text.
He is now taking questions.
On the subject of the Northern Ireland protocol, he says there are practical steps that could make it work more effectively that could have been introduced some time ago.
The question today is whether Rishi Sunak has “the strength” to sell his deal to his backbenchers, he says.
He says Labour does not have that problem, because the party is not divided.
Updated
Starmer says Britons could be poorer than Polish people by end of this decade on current growth trends
In his speech on Labour’s growth plan, Keir Starmer said that on current growth trends Britons could end up poorer than Polish people by the end of this decade. According to the extract from the speech released in advance, he said:
We need to be frank about the path of decline the Tories have set our country on. The British people are falling behind while our European neighbours get richer. In the east as well as in countries like France and Germany. I’m not comfortable with that. Not comfortable with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by Poland. Nor am I prepared to accept what the consequences of this failure would mean.
And here is the explanatory note from Labour defending this claim.
World Bank data shows that the UK had a GDP per capita of $44,979 in 2021 (latest available data) compared with $34,915 in Poland, and $33,593 in Hungary, and $30,777 in Romania.
UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita grew at an average annual rate of 0.5% in real terms from 2010-21, compared to 3.6% for Poland, 3% for Hungary and 3.8% for Romania.
Assuming these trends continue, by 2030, the UK will be around US$600 (PPP adjusted) poorer per person than Poland.
By 2040, the UK will be around US$12,000 and US$8,000 poorer per person than Romania and Hungary respectively.
Updated
Rees-Mogg says 'significant number' of Tory MPs will not be happy with protocol deal if it does not have DUP backing
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Brexit secretary, has been doing a media round this morning. As reported earlier, he gave Rishi Sunak some credit for what the PM seems to have negotiated, but said that he did not think it would be enough to satisfy the DUP. (See 9.31am.) He said:
From what I’ve heard, he [Sunak] has done very well, but I’m not sure he has achieved the objective of getting the DUP back into power sharing, which is the fundamental point of it.
Here are some of the other points he made.
Rees-Mogg said that a “significant number” of Tory MPs would not be happy with the deal if it did not have DUP backing. He told GB News:
It will all depend on the DUP. If the DUP are against it, I think there will be quite a significant number of Conservatives who are unhappy.
He said Boris Johnson’s views would be influential in determining how Tory MPs responded to the deal. He said:
The position of Boris Johnson is always important. He remains the biggest figure in UK politics and therefore his view will be of fundamental relevance to how this debate is carried out.
Rees-Mogg stressed that he needed to see the text of the deal before making a judgment. He said:
I’m afraid, with all the EU deals the devil is in the detail, so when people say ‘we need to see the legal text’, they are not larking about, they really want to see it to understand what the effect is.
He said there seemed to be “some important concessions” from the EU in the deal.
He criticised No 10 for not consulting the DUP more fully before agreeing on the deal. He said:
My concern over all of this is what sounds to be quite an achievement has been weakened by not consulting the DUP in the first place to ensure their support was on board before it was announced, rather than taking a punt that they may like it afterwards.
I think that’s unfortunate, I think it hasn’t necessarily been handled successfully in terms of communications.
He said it would be “ridiculous” for the Conservative party to change leader again before the election. Asked about Johnson returning as party leader, he told Good Morning Britain:
Boris was a great leader, it was a mistake to get rid of him but, no, I do not want to see a change in the Tory leadership now. I think we would look ridiculous to change leader again …
I’m not saying that I never want to see Boris come back, for the whole of eternity. But I want to see Conservative MPs and Conservative party members supporting Rishi Sunak.
Updated
Keir Starmer is about to deliver a speech on Labour’s growth policy. You can watch a live feed here.
I will post more on the speech shortly.
Theresa Villiers says MPs must get vote on protocol deal
As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll reports, the former Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers, a leading Brexiter, said this morning it is “crucial parliament has a vote” on the much-anticipated deal.
Updated
Sunak and von der Leyen to unveil protocol deal as leading Tory Brexiter suggests PM has done 'very well' but not enough
Good morning. Rishi Sunak is today unveiling his own Brexit deal – an agreement with the EU on changes to the Northern Ireland protocol. Theresa May lost office because she could not get her own Brexit deal accepted by her party, or parliament. Sunak is in a much stronger position than she was (the issue is more marginal, the Tory Brexiters are less potent, most MPs just want to move on, and Sunak has Labour on his side) but it is still, as Peter Walker reports in his overnight summary, a perilous moment for him.
The Daily Mail splash headline sums up the key question for the day.
Monday's Mail: Can Sunak Sell His Brexit Deal? #TomorrowsPapersToday #DailyMail #Mail pic.twitter.com/BQo08cgBtt
— Tomorrows Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) February 26, 2023
But sell the deal to whom? There are at least five groups that matter.
The Democratic Unionist party (DUP): The main unionist party has set seven tests for the deal, and it has said it will not lift its boycott of the power-sharing arrangement in Northern Ireland, which has led to the executive being suspended for the last year, if it is not happy. DUP MPs have been complaining about not being shown the text of the deal in advance, and the most hardline have recently been setting what seem like increasingly unrealistic demands for what it must say.
Tory Brexiters in the European Research Group (ERG): Broadly they claim to have the same concerns as the DUP, and some of them say they will be guided by the DUP’s response, and that they will reject the deal if the DUP does. But their politics are not 100% aligned. Some of them are Boris Johnson supporters who are motivated in part by animus towards Sunak. But they are also Tories, who might be swayed by the argument that a split won’t help the party at the next election.
People in Northern Ireland: The deal is supposed to remove some of the obstacles affecting trade going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The fact that Sinn Féin MPs do not take their seats in the Commons means the DUP gets a disproportionate voice on Northern Ireland. But they don’t represent all unionists, and they only got 21% of the vote in last year’s assembly elections. The public as a whole in Northern Ireland is much less critical of the protocol than the DUP, and more likely to back Sunak’s deal.
Conservative party members: Sunak was not chosen as leader by party members, and a ConservativeHome survey published yesterday suggests 41% of members do not support his policy on the protocol, while only 36% do. If members are unhappy, that won’t really show this week. But it will create a problem for Sunak in the future.
The UK electorate: Outside Northern Ireland, and particularly in England, Britons take little interest in what happens on the other side of the Irish Sea and “solving” a Northern Ireland problem confers little or no electoral benefit. But the protocol is also about “getting Brexit done”, and if Sunak does conclude a successful protocol deal, he might get some credit for competence.
Although much of what is in the deal has been reported, we have not seen the full details, and we do not know yet how the key groups will react. We will know a lot more tonight, but it might take some days before the DUP or the ERG deliver a definitive yes or no. From No 10’s point of view, at least it has not been firmly rejected already.
This morning Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary and an arch-Brexiter loyal to Boris Johnson, gave Sunak a mixed assessment. He said he thought Sunak had done “very well”, but possibly not enough to satisify the DUP.
'Do you think Sunak is right to do this [Brexit] deal?' @edballs
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 27, 2023
'I think from what I've heard he's done very well, but I'm not sure that he has achieved the objective of getting the DUP back into power-sharing.' @Jacob_Rees_Mogg pic.twitter.com/1G4LQuKNAd
Here is the agenda for the day.
10am: Keir Starmer gives a speech on Labour’s plans to increase growth.
11am: Kate Forbes, the Scottish National party leadership candidate, holds a campaign event.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
Lunchtime: Rishi Sunak is due to hold a meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, to sign off the deal on the Northern Ireland protocol. After that Sunak will chair a cabinet meeting where the cabinet will be briefed on the deal.
Around 3.30pm: Sunak is due to hold a press conference with Von der Leyen in Windsor.
Late afternoon/early evening: Sunak is expected to make a statement on the deal to MPs.
I’ll try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.
If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
Alternatively, you can email me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com.
Updated
