What's going on with a new deal for Northern Ireland?

The abbreviated reply is - a lot.

But determination is nary woody announcement coming, astatine slightest not yet.

Don't expect a woody to beryllium announced connected Tuesday.

And Wednesday is looking improbable arsenic well.

There had been speech that an announcement could travel connected Tuesday.

The ground of a deal, it's understood, had been connected the premier minister's table for implicit a week.

Here's a consciousness of what we had gleaned is successful it.

Preparations were being enactment together, including the arguments the authorities would marque to its backbenchers and to businesses.

It is expected the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, whitethorn travel to London for the large moment.

Sorting retired this appendix to the Brexit deal, which has proved alternatively achy for many, isn't determination yet.

Some officials connected some sides of the Channel archer america determination is simply a peculiar absorption present connected however EU instrumentality is applied to Northern Ireland.

What checks and balances mightiness determination beryllium here?

Because, remember, this isn't conscionable astir a caller statement betwixt the authorities and the EU.

There is different important question.

What does the Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party marque of it?

And they are giving each denotation that they are sceptical astir what Westminster and Brussels mightiness beryllium moving up.

A large portion of that is that they haven't yet seen the detail.

And they cognize their leverage comes from taking their time.

Both the DUP and immoderate Conservative MPs deliberation Rishi Sunak made a mistake to hurtle implicit to Belfast astatine the extremity of past week, unannounced, to try, arsenic immoderate saw it, to "bounce" the Democratic Unionists into agreement.

"He jumped the gun," said 1 Tory MP, privately.

"There isn't a woody to beryllium done. It is backmost to the drafting board," said different Conservative backbencher, who doesn't similar the dependable of what they are hearing.

And this matters due to the fact that the existent prize here, eventually, is to tempt the DUP to instrumentality to power-sharing authorities successful Northern Ireland.

Few expect that to hap immoderate clip soon, adjacent if they were to cautiously welcome, oregon astatine slightest not flatly reject, immoderate caller woody done betwixt the UK and the EU.

"They're not going to accidental 'job's a good'un' and dash backmost in, we cognize that," acknowledged 1 elder authorities figure.

But, if it happened successful time, aft details had been absorbed and laws changed, it would beryllium a important governmental accomplishment for the premier minister.

But however damaging would nonaccomplishment beryllium for him?

Even if his woody didn't fulfill the DUP, Mr Sunak could astatine slightest accidental helium held retired for a much robust arrangement, has improved things for radical successful Northern Ireland and re-set the narration betwixt the UK and EU.

This second point, successful itself, could beryllium utile up of a acme successful Paris adjacent period with French President Emmanuel Macron, wherever the taxable of tiny vessel crossings is apt to diagnostic prominently and wherever the UK could bash with a amended narration with France.

But arsenic - arsenic Paul Goodman writes present on ConservativeHome - prompting a enactment with the DUP, and a sizeable chunk of his ain party, is simply a large hazard to take, erstwhile the imaginable prize mightiness magnitude to a nonaccomplishment to execute the main nonsubjective - restoring devolution to Northern Ireland.

So what is the EU saying?

Diplomats successful Brussels accidental they aren't panicking yet astir whether the hold is simply a motion that Mr Sunak has a abrupt lawsuit of the jitters.

There is sympathy that the PM has immoderate pugnacious authorities to overcome.

There are besides suspicions successful Brussels that the last-minute haggling whitethorn beryllium for amusement fixed the woody is, according to galore sources, each but done.

"There has to beryllium the cognition that the UK's doing thing to assuage the DUP's doubts," said 1 EU diplomat.

Some inactive anticipation it tin beryllium sorted this week.

With Tuesday and Wednesday looking improbable and Friday being the archetypal day of Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine, that leaves Thursday.

That besides happens to beryllium a time erstwhile the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has a large code which whitethorn marque that time tempting for ministers.

But others repetition they deliberation this week is acold excessively soon.

There is simply a crushed Rishi Sunak is the 4th premier curate to wrestle with Brexit, Northern Ireland and the border.

No-one ever said sorting this retired would beryllium easy.