Hopes raised for Brexit deal on Northern Ireland

A woody connected post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland could beryllium announced successful the coming days, UK and EU sources person indicated to the BBC.

It comes aft plans to motion disconnected an statement betwixt the UK and the EU earlier this week were delayed.

Developments are said to beryllium moving "hour-by-hour" - and a woody could inactive neglect to materialise.

Downing Street told reporters earlier that "intensive discussions" with the EU were ongoing.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been trying to triumph enactment for changes to post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland, known arsenic the protocol.

Expectations had risen earlier this week that a woody could beryllium announced this week aft much than a twelvemonth of negotiations.

Monday is being mooted arsenic a imaginable infinitesimal for the premier curate to yet uncover his plans. However, akin expectations were gathering astatine precisely this clip past week.

It had been hoped that Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, could caput to London past Monday to seal an agreement.

But it ne'er happened, and determination were nerves successful EU circles astir whether Mr Sunak could adjacent a deal.

Mr Sunak has been facing unit from his backbenchers implicit the aboriginal relation of the EU's apical tribunal successful policing the exertion of EU laws successful Northern Ireland.

The protocol, which was agreed nether Boris Johnson and came into unit successful 2021, saw the portion proceed to travel immoderate EU laws to get circular the request for checks astatine the UK's borderline with the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which has acceptable its ain tests for its support, has besides expressed reservations astir the continuing relation of European Court of Justice and EU law.

Both the UK and EU person continued to importune that negotiations are ongoing, contempt aggregate sources suggesting that a wide woody has been connected the array for weeks.