PM agrees new Brexit deal with EU for NI

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has agreed a deal with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for new post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.

The Windsor Framework replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, and aims to deliver free-flowing trade in goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by removing any sense of the border in the Irish Sea for goods staying within the UK.

Under the agreement, these goods will travel as normal through a new green lane without red tape or unnecessary checks, with the only checks remaining designed to prevent smuggling or crime.

It protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union, replacing swathes of EU laws with UK laws and ensuring the people of Northern Ireland can benefit from the same tax policies, food and drink, medicines, and parcels as the rest of the UK.

It also rewrites the Treaty text with a new Stormont Brake that means the UK can veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland, which goes far beyond previous agreements or discussions on the old Protocol.

Unveiling the deal, Sunak said: “Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties. But really, it’s about much more than that. It’s about stability in Northern Ireland. It’s about real people and real businesses. It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.

“And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us. Setting aside the arguments that have for too long, divided us. And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us: This family of nations – this United Kingdom.”

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The initial details of the new deal for trading in Northern Ireland are encouraging and appear to address the key concerns of hospitality businesses.

“The breakthroughs on easing trade flows, VAT, excise duty and state aid would seem to resolve many of the major sticking points raised by UKHospitality. The people and businesses of Northern Ireland should see the benefit in this as soon as this summer through the planned cut to alcohol duty in August, which previously would not have been the case.”

“It will also enable them to benefit from any future cut to VAT, which we have consistently urged the UK Government to implement for hospitality. We will continue to work with our partner organisation, Hospitality Ulster, to review the finer detail, which we hope will deliver stability, certainty and growth for venues across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”