British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Northern Ireland on Thursday evening to meet with local political leaders, a sign that the UK and the European Union may be close to a solution to the post-Brexit trade dispute that has brought headaches. head economic and political turmoil in the region .
Sunak and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris are making the trip to speak to people from all sides of the issue and ensure that any solution solves ‘practical problems on the ground, meets our overall objectives and safeguards Ireland’s place. ‘Northern Ireland within the UK domestic market,’ the prime minister’s office said.
In further signs that a deal could be imminent, British media reported that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will travel to Brussels on Friday to meet with the bloc’s chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic.
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Any deal faces a tough audience: Unionist politicians who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK toppled the region’s power-sharing government nearly a year ago over their opposition to existing trade deals with the UK. the EU, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. They say they will not return to government until the protocol is substantially changed.
The protocol was an effort to protect the Northern Ireland peace process by preserving the free flow of trade between it and the Republic of Ireland, which share the only land border between the UK and the EU.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Northern Ireland on Thursday, leading some to speculate that negotiations to mend trade relations with the European Union are underway. (James Glossop/Pool photo via AP)
When the UK left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the border free of customs checks and other obstacles because the free movement of goods and people is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 Years of Violence in Northern Ireland. But that raised concerns about how the EU would protect its market from British goods that may not meet the bloc’s regulatory standards.
Instead, there are controls on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK Unionists say it effectively creates a border in the middle of the Irish Sea, undermining Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.
The protocol has become a huge political headache for the UK government and a thorn in the side of the country’s relationship with the EU. The two sides have been feuding since their divorce became final in 2020, with Britain threatening to unilaterally tear up parts of the Brexit deal and the EU accusing the UK of failing to honor the legally binding treaty it had signed.
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But the mood has improved since Sunak, a pragmatic supporter of Brexit, took office at the end of October.
The UK government is hoping to resolve the EU trade dispute and break the political impasse ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday peace deal in Northern Ireland. He is pinning his hopes on concluding an agreement with the EU that would ease controls and convince trade unionists to return to government.
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However, any compromise from Sunak will be a hard sell to unionists in Northern Ireland and sure to anger staunch Brexiteers who form a powerful faction within the ruling Conservative Party.
