Talks are intensifying this weekend between the UK and the EU over securing a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. There are signs that a deal is close with a No 10 source calling negotiations “positive”. King Charles had also been due to meet the president of the European Commission in the UK on Saturday, the BBC understands. But the visit has been canceled due to operational reasons unconnected to the political talks.
The planned meeting between the King and Ursula von der Leyen, originally reported by Sky News, was not part of the negotiations between the UK and the EU. However, it was an opportunity for the pair to meet face-to-face, and the fact this meeting had been planned is significant as it appears to indicate a Brexit deal was about to be done – and publicly presented – while Ms von der Leyen was in the UK. It is not known when the European Commission president will now come to the UK. Some had suggested a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol – thought to be all but complete – could be called the Windsor Agreement and include a moment in front of the cameras involving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ms von der Leyen.
The prime minister and Ms von der Leyen spoke by telephone on Friday and Downing Street said Mr Sunak had made “good progress”. A source said afterwards that it had been “positive” and negotiations would continue, with leaders agreeing “to discuss this further in coming days.” Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has pulled out of a long-planned trip to the Middle East at the beginning of next week – raising expectations that a formal announcement from the UK and Brussels could be days away. But there have been repeated delays over the last week or so, as wrangling went on between No 10, the Democratic Unionist Party and Conservative backbenchers.
The prime minister has been trying to win support for changes to post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland. The protocol, which was agreed under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and came into force in 2021, saw Northern Ireland continue to follow some EU laws to get round the need for checks at the UK’s border with the Republic of Ireland. Earlier, a source from the DUP told the BBC they had not been involved in any talks with the prime minister on Friday and had no meetings scheduled over the weekend. Mr Sunak has been trying to win the DUP over to a deal, as the party is currently blocking the formation of devolved government in Northern Ireland.
The prime minister has been facing added pressure from some Conservative MPs over Northern Ireland’s current obligation to follow some EU laws and be accountable to the European Court of Justice. Both the UK and the EU also have to coordinate diaries to make the choreography of an announcement work at a mutually convenient time and place.
