Rishi Sunak says he is “giving everything” to secure a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland this weekend and he “wants to get the job done”.
But the Prime Minister said that no deal has yet been reached between the UK and the EU.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said a trade deal between Britain and Northern Ireland was “moving towards a conclusion”.
Sources of No. 10 have described the talks as positive.
The Taoiseach said a deal could come within days but was “by no means guaranteed” as negotiators still had a gap.
He urged politicians in Britain, Brussels and Northern Ireland to “go the extra mile” to achieve the line.
The Northern Ireland Protocol – agreed under former prime minister Boris Johnson after Britain left the EU – has been a constant source of tension.
It sees Northern Ireland continue to follow some EU rules to allow goods to flow freely across the border to the Republic of Ireland without checks.
Instead, goods from England, Scotland and Wales are checked when they arrive at Northern Irish ports.
Some, including Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), feel it harms the country’s position in the rest of the UK, as well as affecting trade.
The DUP, which also wants less oversight of EU rules, is currently blocking the formation of a devolved government in Northern Ireland over its concerns.
Britain and the EU are negotiating a way forward and appear to be on the verge of finalizing a new deal – which the Prime Minister is trying to secure support for.
Mr Sunak said: “I’ve been here all weekend trying to get it done… We’re giving it everything we’ve got.”
He said he wanted to show that Brexit “works for every part of the UK”, continuing: “There is unfinished business on Brexit and I want to finish that work.”
“The idea that the EU can impose laws on Northern Ireland without their say is not acceptable”, the prime minister said, adding that ensuring stability for the people of Northern Ireland was key.
“This is about the people and communities of Northern Ireland,” he told the newspaper. “It’s about what’s best for them and that should be on everyone’s mind.”
The Prime Minister added in an article: “Tackling this issue is fundamental to everything I believe in as a Conservative, a Brexiteer and a Unionist.”
Meanwhile, King Charles was scheduled to meet the president of the European Commission in the UK on Saturday.
The planned meeting between King and Ursula van der Leyen, originally reported by Sky News, was not part of talks between the UK and the EU and multiple sources said their visit was canceled for operational reasons. was done
It is not known when she will come to the UK, but the fact that a meeting was planned suggests that a deal was to be struck – and presented publicly – while she was in the UK. .
Some have even suggested that a new deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol could be called the Windsor Agreement.
Earlier, a DUP source told JEE News they had no meeting scheduled for the weekend on protocol.
DUP leader Sir Geoffrey Donaldson also said: “London and Brussels should aim to get this right rather than rush it.
“A flawed deal will not restore power sharing but deepen the divide for generations to come.”
The Prime Minister is facing additional pressure from some Conservative MPs over Northern Ireland’s current obligation to comply with some EU laws and to be accountable to the European Court of Justice.
Eurosceptic Tory MP Sir John Redwood said: “Britain needs to stop EU rules being imposed on Northern Ireland. The EU needs to take the Unionists along.”
