Northern Ireland Protocol deal acceptable to DUP could be announced soon, report suggests

On Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph reported that hopes have been raised that a new settlement has been negotiated – ending year without a devolved administration in NI.

The paper suggests that detailed briefings are now expected to be issued alongside the announcement, outlining how each of seven DUP tests are met by the revised post-Brexit trading arrangements.

“It meets all the seven tests”, a well-placed source is quoted as saying.

However, the DUP has not been presented with the full details of the deal.

One of the main stumbling blocks has been the extent to which the European Court of Justice [ECJ] remains the final arbiter on issues around EU law that arise in Northern Ireland.

A DUP source is said to have told The Telegraph: "There will be no restoration of the NI Executive until the Protocol is replaced with arrangements that Unionists can support."

Downing Street declined to comment on suggestions a deal is close, with a spokesman saying: “Intensive talks between UK and EU technical teams are ongoing, with more talks due on potential solutions across all areas.”