Rishi Sunak has finalised his Brexit deal with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, saying that the agreement marks a “decisive breakthrough”.
Under the direction of Mr Sunak, Downing Street officials have been working with their EU counterparts on the final stages of a compromise deal in three key areas in the implementation of the Protocol since January.
Here we tell you everything you need to know about the Protocol.
What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
It was a deal struck between the UK and the European Union that determined what the trade rules would be for Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Northern Ireland shares a land border with Ireland, which is an EU member, over which goods move freely because there are no checkpoints.
Given all sides were committed to keeping that land border open, London and Brussels agreed to having checks on goods moving to and from the UK mainland.
But that effectively created a customs border between two different parts of the UK – Northern Ireland and Great Britain – which has infuriated Unionists.
What is the latest news?
Mr Sunak finalised a new agreement on improving the Northern Ireland Protocol at a lunchtime meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in Windsor, on Monday.
They officially announced the deal at a press conference before the Prime Minister headed to the Commons to present it to MPs.
The Telegraph understands that Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit deal will not be put to a vote in the House of Commons this week.
So what’s the problem?
Unionists have long feared the Northern Ireland Protocol is driving a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. For a new deal to work, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) says it must pass seven tests.
The DUP claims the checks are driving up the cost of living but this is disputed by other parties in Northern Ireland, which claim the country’s special status in the Single Market has shielded its economy.
The British Government argues that the Protocol is having a chilling effect on trade from the rest of the UK, which is Northern Ireland’s principle trading partner.
Supply chains are shifting to EU suppliers to avoid the extra checks, which London says is unacceptable trade diversion.
Supporters of the agreement see it as mitigation against the consequences of Brexit.
What will the legislation try to solve?
The deal will propose to compromise in three key areas in the implementation of the Protocol.
The original agreement first struck by Boris Johnson and David Frost back in October 2019 meant that Northern Ireland effectively remains in the EU’s Single Market and continues to follow EU rules.
In January 2021 a solution came into force that avoided a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, but implemented checks on certain goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, creating a trade border in the Irish Sea.
Mr Sunak has said that the new deal “delivers free-flowing trade throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, it protects Northern Ireland’s place in our union and it achieves sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.”
This article is kept updated with the latest information.