PM to hold cabinet meeting as speculation mounts over NI protocol deal

More UK-EU talks will take place over the coming days

Rishi Sunak
Author: Chloe StjohnPublished 21st Feb 2023

Rishi Sunak will hold a Cabinet meeting today amid growing speculation an announcement is around the corner on a Northern Ireland protocol deal.

The Times is reporting some ministers could be prepared to resign if the agreement undermines Northern Ireland's place within the UK.

It's reported if a deal isn't announced by tomorrow, the timetable could slip into next week, to avoid a clash with Friday's anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There's been an expectation a deal could be announced any day now, after the Prime Minister made a surprise visit to Northern Ireland last week to meet with Stormont parties.

After a phone-call yesterday, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and the EU's Maroš Šefčovič agreed to hold another meeting in the coming days.

In a tweet Mr. Cleverly said “Good to speak with Maros Sefcovic and Chris Heaton-Harris about ongoing work on the Northern Ireland protocol.”

“We are focused on finding a durable solution for NI. “

“Intensive work continues and we agreed to talk again in the coming days.”

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