Rishi Sunak, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, is set to hold a face-to-face meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on Monday to finalize a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. The two leaders will meet in the UK to discuss the "complex challenges" of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which currently sees some goods checked when entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

 

The UK government has been seeking to change the protocol for some time, and Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, said that Britain and the EU were "on the cusp" of a deal. Sunak and von der Leyen have both agreed to work toward "shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges surrounding the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland."

For days, a deal has been anticipated, with recent discussions focusing on its presentation and delivery. Both the Conservative and Labour whips have instructed their members to attend Parliament on Monday.

 

The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed to by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of the UK's exit from the European Union. It maintains Northern Ireland's adherence to some EU laws, allowing goods to flow freely across the border to the Republic of Ireland without inspection. Instead, goods arriving in Northern Ireland from England, Scotland, and Wales are inspected.

 

Critics, including Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), feel that this undermines the nation's position within the rest of the UK as well as impacting trade. The DUP has complained about what it calls a "democratic deficit" with Northern Ireland being subject to EU rules while not having a say on them.

 

Despite these challenges, Raab has said that the government has "made great progress" in its talks with the EU. He suggested that one approach could be an "intelligence-based" rather than "tick box" approach for goods, which would effectively mean that they look at what is happening in the Republic of Ireland with goods that go to Northern Ireland in case there's a risk of them going into the wider single market.

 

With both the UK and the EU appearing to be making progress towards a deal, Monday's meeting between Sunak and von der Leyen could be crucial in finalizing an agreement that satisfies both parties.

 

 

 

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak is scheduled to hold face-to-face talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a bid to finalize a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. On Monday, both parties are expected to discuss the "complex challenges" posed by the Northern Ireland Protocol. The UK seeks to alter the protocol, which necessitates checking some goods when they enter from the rest of the UK. A deal is expected to be made in the coming days, with recent negotiations focusing on the deal's delivery and presentation.

 

The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed upon during former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's term, as part of the process of the UK leaving the European Union. The protocol entails Northern Ireland following some EU laws to facilitate the free flow of goods across the border to the Republic of Ireland without checks. Goods arriving from England, Scotland, and Wales, on the other hand, are checked when they reach Northern Irish ports. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other critics believe that this undermines the nation's position within the rest of the UK while also affecting trade. They also argue that Northern Ireland is subject to EU laws without having any say in them, which they refer to as a "democratic deficit."

 

On Sunday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stated that he had been in touch with Ms von der Leyen and "very much" welcomed her meeting with Mr. Sunak. Meanwhile, his deputy, Micheal Martin, noted that "very significant progress" had been made in resolving issues, and he hoped that it could be concluded soon. The government has yet to confirm whether MPs would be allowed to vote on any deal, but it stated that they would be able to express their views. Some Conservative MPs have been putting pressure on Mr. Sunak regarding the role of EU law and the European Court of Justice in settling trade disputes. Mark Francois, the head of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, earlier stated that EU law needed to be "expunged" from Northern Ireland to bring it in line with England, Scotland, and Wales. The DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has called for a deal that gets things right instead of being rushed, while former Prime Minister John Major has urged Conservative and DUP MPs should not let concerns about the European Court of Justice prevent them from easing trade and restoring Northern Ireland's devolved government.