Is a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol imminent?

Rishi Sunak hoped to end the week with a new agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Instead, the Prime Minister delayed his plans to announce a fresh agreement in the face of concerns from the DUP – and members of the European Research Group. As I say in this week’s politics column in the magazine, the rebellion against Sunak’s plan started before any MPs have seen the final text. Downing Street insist nothing is agreed – though others accuse Sunak of having been sitting on the main thrust of a deal now for weeks.

After DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson warned Sunak there was no need to rush, a consensus has been growing among Tory MPs that the Prime Minister would not move forward as planned. However, there is still a chance of movement over the weekend before Sunak announces a deal on Monday. MPs are on a three-line whip, meaning that they have to be in the Commons.