Government to hold new talks with EU on NI protocol ‘in coming days’, says foreign secretary – as it happened

Rishi Sunak at the Munich security conference on 18 February. The prime minister had hoped to announce a deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol this week. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

6.00pm GMT

Early evening summary

• Suella Braverman, the home secretary, has hinted Rishi Sunak should not abandon the Northern Ireland protocol bill in his quest for a deal to break the deadlock, as hopes faded that an agreement could be struck by Tuesday.

• Humza Yousaf has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s first minister after pledging to uphold her socially progressive policy agenda.

• James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, has said countries should not hold back from supplying Ukraine with arms. Opening a Commons debate on Ukraine within the last hour, he said:

If anyone in the international community or amongst our allies was thinking of holding back their stocks for a rainy day – this is the rainy day.

• Rishi Sunak’s government is “barking up the wrong tree” by trying to get people in retirement back to work to fix chronic staff shortages, according to a report that warns long-term sickness and pressure on the NHS is having a bigger impact on the jobs market.

• Tens of thousands of junior doctors in England will strike for 72 hours next month in a dramatic escalation of the row between NHS staff and the government.

• Rishi Sunak has intervened in the row over the rewriting of parts of Roald Dahl’s books to remove language deemed inappropriate, portraying it as an attack on free speech.

Sadiq Khan visiting his old school, Fircroft primary school in Tooting Bec, to promote his plan to fund free school meals for all primary school pupils in London for the next academic year. Photograph: James Manning/PA

Updated at 6.19pm GMT

5.50pm GMT

Here is a round-up of some comment around today from Brexit watchers on the state of play in relation to the Northern Ireland protocol.

• David Henig, a trade expert, says in an article for Encompass that Rishi Sunak may not be able to carry his party with him. He says:

Until last week even some Sunak opponents in his party were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, one heard phrases such as “not rocking the boat for Northern Ireland”. But the mood has changed in days, as blood has been scented, in particular by former PM Boris Johnson and his supporters. Notwithstanding causing the mess, it is now suggested he is the man for the fix.

• Raoul Ruparel, who was a Europe adviser in No 10 when Theresa May was PM, says that the European Research Group may be using the DUP as “cover” for opposing a deal.

This has very early 2019 vibes, ERG using DUP as a cover to oppose something. But we know from Boris negotiation that they are willing to agree to something which DUP doesn't support. JRM in particular was part of Boris team that totally turned on what DUP wanted in late 2019 pic.twitter.com/dTo7cI65qW

— Raoul Ruparel (@RaoulRuparel) February 20, 2023

• Hugh Bennett, a former Brexit adviser to Boris Johnson and Theresa May, says in an article for Politico that it would make sense to pass the Northern Ireland protocol bill, even if a deal is agreed.

The complex society and history of Northern Ireland means that it is inevitable that arrangements have to be flexible enough to evolve over time, as evidenced by the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement itself. Both the U.K. and the EU need to accept that it is not simply a case of “doing a deal” and walking away.

Either way, this underlines why it is essential that the U.K. retains its own ability to swiftly make changes in response to problems that may arise in the future, particularly if the EU is unable or unwilling to do so. This is why it is so important that U.K. continues to pass the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill into U.K. law even if a deal is agreed.

• But Peter Foster, the FT’s Brexit expert, disagrees.

Very good ⁦@HughRBennett⁩. NI Protocol explainer via ⁦@politico⁩ reminds everyone about Article 10, dual regs issue and fact that, if EU won’t change text, there’s big questions on legal force of any buffers in ECJ role. BUT…1/2 https://t.co/oblEsCn0BP

— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) February 20, 2023

He persists in fiction that NI Protocol Bill would be effective in addressing future rows — it wouldn’t. UK unilaterally changing an intern’l treaty just causes another row, not a fix!

All this reminds us that constructive ambiguity only works if peeps prepared to play along2/2

— Peter Foster (@pmdfoster) February 20, 2023

Updated at 5.51pm GMT