Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told party leaders in Stormont that a deal with the European Union on the Northern Ireland Protocol is close, but not completed.
Sunak had meetings with politicians from the region’s parties in Belfast on Friday morning as UK and EU negotiators near an agreement on the post-Brexit treaty for the region.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said “progress has been made across a range of areas” but “further work is required” in some areas of the talks.
“Clearly this is a big moment,” the DUP leader said.
The DUP’s meeting with Sunak significantly overran the 15 minutes that had been pencilled in, in a sign that the UK’s negotiations with the EU are at a key moment.
One member of the Northern Irish Assembly who sat down with Sunak this morning said that while the Prime Minister disclosed “bugger all” about the details of the negotiations, they came away from the meeting with the impression that a deal between the UK and Brussels was close.
Sunak will travel to a security conference in Munich on Saturday where he is expected to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol talks with Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President.
No 10 insists negotiations are ongoing and that no deal has been done.
Summary above derived from this News Link -> Rishi Sunak Tells Northern Irish Parties A Protocol Deal Is Close, But Not Done
