Rishi Sunak unveils his ‘breakthrough’ Protocol deal

Rishi Sunak has hailed his new deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol a ‘turning point’ for the people of Northern Ireland. Titled the ‘Windsor framework’, the Prime Minister argued that the revised agreement would ensure stability in Northern Ireland and the strengthening of the Union.

As the text of the deal is released, parties in Northern Ireland – along with Tory MPs – will now take time to consider the agreement in detail. However, before they do so, Sunak used the press conference – where he appeared along side European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – to highlight what he viewed as the key changes.

First, Sunak claimed his deal will remove ‘any sense of a border in the Irish Sea’ by enabling the free flow of goods within the whole of the UK. On the role of the ECJ, Sunak said that a new ‘brake’ would allow Stormont to stop EU laws applying and give the UK government a veto.