Talks continue over brexit deal as EU meeting cancelled
Rishi Sunak was due to meet the European Commission president
Last updated 25th Feb 2023
The Prime Minister is continuing to try to secure a post-Brexit deal over Northern Ireland, after plans for an in-person meeting with the European Commission president were called off.
After having "positive" discussions with Rishi Sunak on Friday, Ursula von der Leyen was expected to arrive in Britain on Saturday for further talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
But UK Government sources confirmed Ms von der Leyen was no longer scheduled to make the journey to the UK.
The protocol, signed by former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2020, was designed to prevent a hard border with Ireland after Brexit by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the European Union's single market.
But the treaty has incensed unionists due to the trade barriers it has created between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Goods travelling between Great Britain have been subject to checks at the border, despite the fact that they don't intend to be moved south of the border to the Republic of Ireland.
Some reports suggested Downing Street had hoped she would shake hands on a revised pact while visiting, while Sky News reported that she was also scheduled to meet the King at Windsor Castle on Saturday.
The broadcaster's report said the meeting could have been interpreted as Charles "endorsing the deal" that the Prime Minister is attempting to negotiate with the European Union in order to solve Brexit-related issues.
Downing Street has said that further talks will take place over the coming days, without being more exact on timings.
Speculation that Number 10 is preparing to confirm a deal to fix the protocol intensified on Friday after a Downing Street source said "good progress" had been made during a phone call between the Prime Minister and the president.
The pair have spoken three times in the past week, including holding face-to-face conversations on the fringes of the Munich security conference last Saturday.
With Cabinet ministers reportedly on alert for a possible conference call over the weekend and Tory MPs being ordered into Parliament on a three-line whip on Monday, Westminster has been braced for a No 10 protocol announcement.
The DUP has issued seven tests to win its backing for any deal, including addressing what it calls the "democratic deficit" of Northern Ireland being subject to EU rules while not having a say on them.