Northern Ireland Protocol: Announcement about Brexit deal imminent

An announcement about a new deal between the EU and UK on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland is expected imminently, multiple sources have told the BBC.

The UK wants to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, an agreement with the EU which sees certain goods checked when entering from the rest of the UK.

It is thought full details of a deal could be announced on Monday.

Tory and Labour MPs have been told to come into parliament that day.

The government has not confirmed if MPs would get a vote on any deal, but said they would be able to "express" their view.

A deal has been expected for days, with recent talks focusing on its presentation and delivery.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab earlier told the BBC the UK was close to securing a deal with the European Union.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Raab said: "We're on the cusp, we've made great progress, we're not there yet, but it would be a really important deal...

"I think it would mark a paradigm shift first and foremost for the communities in Northern Ireland, but I think it would be a significant achievement."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier said he was giving the negotiations "everything" in an attempt to clinch a deal.

The protocol, signed by Boris Johnson in 2020, meant Northern Ireland continued to follow some EU laws so that goods can flow freely over the border to the Irish Republic without checks.

Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland continued to follow some EU laws to get around the need for checks at the UK's border with the Republic of Ireland.

Currently, goods are checked at ports in Northern Ireland on arrival from England, Scotland or Wales. They can then be moved to the Republic of Ireland once those checks are complete.

The new plan would see the goods split into two different lanes. Those destined for Northern Ireland only would go into the green lane and would not be checked while those destined for the Irish Republic and the EU would go into the red lane and checks would be carried out.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a trading arrangement, negotiated during Brexit talks. It allows goods to be transported across the Irish land border without the need for checks.

Before Brexit, it was easy to transport goods across this border because both sides followed the same EU rules. After the UK left, special trading arrangements were needed because Northern Ireland has a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is part of the EU.

The EU has strict food rules and requires border checks when certain goods - such as milk and eggs - arrive from non-EU countries.

The land border is a sensitive issue because of Northern Ireland's troubled political history. It was feared that cameras or border posts - as part of these checks - could lead to instability.

The UK and the EU agreed that protecting the Northern Ireland peace deal - the Good Friday agreement - was an absolute priority.

So, both sides signed the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

It is now part of international law.

Disagreements over the protocol have stopped the Northern Ireland Assembly functioning.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been trying to get the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to agree to a deal, with the party currently blocking the formation of devolved government in Northern Ireland. They have set out seven tests which need to be passed if they are to support any deal - including no new checks on goods traded between GB and Northern Ireland, but also crucially no border in the Irish Sea.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told the BBC: "The objective in London and Brussels should be to get this right rather than rushed. The wrong deal will not restore power sharing but will deepen division for future generations."

Mr Sunak has also been under pressure from some Conservative MPs over the current obligation for Northern Ireland to follow some EU laws and be accountable to the European Court of Justice.

Mark Francois, who heads the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs said EU law needed to be "expunged" from Northern Ireland, bringing it in line with England, Scotland and Wales.

He told Sky News on Sunday that he had yet to see the detail of the deal and it would be "incredibly unwise" to bring in any new deal without giving MPs a vote.

"If they've got a deal they're proud of, show us the text. Let us run it by our lawyers. Let us fully understand what it means. Then, at that point, we might be ready to vote on it."