- The deal will see Michelle O’Neill become Sinn Féin’s first Prime Minister.
- DUP-backed deal includes £3.3bn of funding for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is returning to power-sharing two years after the DUP ended its boycott of Stormont.
After tense talks that lasted into the early hours of yesterday, DUP leader Sir Geoffrey Donaldson said he was ready to support a deal that would see Sinn Féin leader Michelle O’Neill become the party’s first ever prime minister.
Sinn Féin national leader Mary Lou McDonald claimed the move meant Irish unity was now “within reach”.
The deal includes £3.3bn of new funding for Northern Ireland and the government’s promise that trade barriers between the state and the rest of the UK will be eased post-Brexit. .
Conservative Brexiteers yesterday called for details of the deal to be confirmed over concerns it could weaken Britain’s ability to deviate from EU rules.
The DUP withdrew from Stormont in February 2022, protesting post-Brexit trade checks that they said were driving a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Political deadlock has paralyzed Stormont. Sir Jeffrey said yesterday that the new agreement would mean “zero checks and customs paperwork for goods moving within the UK”. He added: “This will eliminate the internal border between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. This is very important.”
Downing Street declined to confirm its assessment and said new proposals would be published after consultation with other parties in Northern Ireland.
Ministers remain nervous that the fragile deal could collapse if hardline supporters decide the details do not match Sir Jeffrey’s rhetoric. Some members of the DUP executive were so concerned about the plans that loyalist activist Jamie Bryson was “set up” to give a live commentary from the outside on what was supposed to be a private discussion during a Monday night emergency. Attended the press conference.
Mr Bryson said: “I think if this law contradicts Sir Geoffrey’s glossy PowerPoint presentation, then he has a very big problem.”
Under the terms of the Brexit deal, Northern Ireland will have full access to the EU’s single market, avoiding the need for a hard border with the Republic.
But the deal means the EU will inspect certain goods entering the country from the UK, sparking anger among union members and shortages of some goods.
Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework deal last year addressed some issues but was not enough to persuade the DUP.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, who will announce details of the bill today, said he now believes “all the conditions are in place” for Stormont to return.
The plan includes a “review mechanism” to reassure unionists that proposals to depart from EU law will not create barriers to trade within the UK.
Whitehall officials suggested the deal would only make limited changes to the UK-EU agreement. The Windsor Framework, which Mr Sunak signed last year, will not be amended.