Rishi Sunak has been negotiating a new deal with the European Union to combat the current Northern Ireland protocol. The Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson left Northern Ireland with close ties to the EU, as it is the only part of the UK that borders an EU country, the Republic of Ireland. The current deal means the EU/ UK border is moved into the Irish Sea, causing goods to be checked from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
Sunak must change the current deal with the EU as businesses are being negatively affected within Northern Ireland, by the increased paperwork and the increased shortages of goods being exported and imported into the country. Furthermore, Unionists and DUP believe Northern Ireland is being treated differently than the rest of the UK, as EU laws still apply to them, even though they have left the Union.
On the 22nd of February 2023, before Sunak’s plans for Northern Ireland had been revealed, he was questioned in the House of Commons over his talks with the EU. While being questioned by the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, Sunak did confirm that he wants to have a free flow of goods between the UK, as well as access to the EU market as a whole. However, Sunak’s sidestepping of questions allowed him to evade two crucial questions – will the government drop the controversial protocol bill and will parliament be allowed to vote on his new deal?
However, since his questioning, Sunak has now announced his deal: The Windsor Framework. This new deal has confirmed the answers to those questions he avoided. It established that the new deal will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol, as he plans to introduce a new high-tech data system, which will use data to see which goods will remain in Northern Ireland with no checks and which goods are going to the EU.
Sunak’s biggest challenge is to convince the DUP and unionists. (That the Windsor Framework is a response which they can support)”
Furthermore, he has announced that the deal will be voted on by parliament. Before the Windsor Framework was announced, Keir Starmer was adamant that Labour would support his new deal. However, Sunak’s biggest challenge is to convince the DUP and unionists. These Unionists continue to have concerns that the new deal still causes Northern Ireland to be treated differently compared to the rest of the UK. It’s all down to the DUP, as without the party’s support, some of Sunak’s conservative Brexiteers may vote against him, stopping the Windsor Framework from being implemented.