Rishi Sunak's post-Brexit deal is praised as power sharing returns to Northern Ireland

• The DUP is to end its two-year boycott on power-sharing with Sinn Fein in Belfast
• Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill is set to become the first republican First Minister

Rishi Sunak’s latest post-Brexit deal on trading rules for Northern Ireland was yesterday hailed on both sides of the Irish Sea.

MPs said it had ‘turned the impossible into the possible’ by almost entirely eliminating checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea in a huge boost for Britain-Northern Ireland trade.

They also praised it for cementing Northern Ireland’s place in the UK by ending the automatic application of new EU law in the province.

Crucially, Stormont looks set to sit again within days for the first time in two years, with the DUP ending its boycott on power-sharing with Sinn Fein. It means key decisions in areas such as health and education can be made, helping to create a ‘brighter future’ for people in the province.

The arrangement will unlock £3.3billion in new funding, allowing for public sector pay rises and an injection of funds into key regional services. Legislation enshrining the deal in law will be voted on today in the Commons.

Rishi Sunak ‘s latest post-Brexit deal on trading rules for Northern Ireland was yesterday hailed on both sides of the Irish Sea

Routine post-Brexit checks on goods shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are to be removed as part of a deal presented by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris

Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill is set to be installed as the first ever Irish republican First Minister as early as this weekend

It is expected to pass, with Tory Brexiteers thought to be broadly supportive of the deal.

Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill is set to be installed as the first ever republican First Minister as early as this weekend.

Unveiling the plan in the Commons yesterday afternoon, on the fourth anniversary of the UK’s exit from the bloc, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: ‘Today we have presented a plan which will deliver the long-term change that Northern Ireland needs.

‘It will strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in our union and guarantee the free flow of goods across the entire United Kingdom. It’s only by sticking to this plan that we will become a more united and prosperous country together.’

His Labour counterpart Hilary Benn described the agreement as a ‘great achievement’ while DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson said: ‘We have turned the impossible into the possible.

‘We have turned the undeliverable into the deliverable.’

At a joint press conference near Belfast last night, Mr Heaton-Harris added that the deal would unlock a ‘brighter future’ for Northern Ireland within the UK.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the deal would deliver ‘real change and progress for everyone in Northern Ireland’. He said: ‘Today’s agreement I believe is a positive and decisive step forward for Northern Ireland.’

The DUP walked out of Stormont in February 2022 in protest at post-Brexit trade checks blamed for driving a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The political deadlock has left Stormont paralysed.

But the new deal, which builds on another agreement Mr Sunak struck with Brussels last February called the Windsor Framework, mostly wipes away checks on goods. They will only take place when smuggling or other criminality is suspected.

Brussels has given the deal its seal of approval.

Q&A: What’s happened in Belfast? 

The UK Government has agreed a deal with Northern Ireland’s political parties on trade rules. In exchange, the DUP has agreed to end its boycott on power-sharing with republican party Sinn Fein. It means the Northern Ireland Assembly is set to sit again for the first time in two years.

What now?

MPs must first approve the deal in a Commons vote today. It is expected to pass easily. The European Commission has also indicated it will back the deal.

Does deal change trade of goods?

It abolishes almost all checks on goods crossing from Britain to Northern Ireland and vice versa.

Will NI benefit from future deals?

Yes. Brussels has agreed across a range of products, including lamb, that Northern Ireland will be able to benefit from any reduced tariffs as a result of UK-negotiated trade deals. These products will now be able to move freely into Northern Ireland.

Will the deal stop Britain diverging from NI and EU?

Not necessarily. As part of a new safeguard there will be a legal requirement by the Government to assess whether any new British legislation would impact trade between Northern Ireland and Britain and, if so, to make a statement considering the implications for Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.

Will new EU laws continue to apply in NI?

No. The Withdrawal Act will be amended. The Northern Ireland Assembly will be able to object to new laws and the UK government will have the right to veto those laws on its behalf.

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