Northern Ireland Protocol: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ‘has protocol deal sitting on desk’

Last night The Times reported that a new settlement has been negotiated – after a year without a devolved administration in NI – but that it remains on the desk of PM Rishi Sunak unsigned.

“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.

The party’s East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons said people should “focus on the prize of a solution instead of the speculation”.

He added: “We set our tests and those continue to be our yardstick for measuring any deal between the EU and UK.”

Brussels sources said that the “ball is in Sunak’s court”, with no official comment expected until London signs off on the framework agreement.

“Things are much further than is publicly acknowledged and we are told that the best is to say the least about it,” a senior diplomatic source is reported to have said.

However, Downing Street continues to insist that no deal has been agreed with the EU, saying that both sides are still engaged in “intensive scoping”.

Meanwhile, after an attempted recall of Stormont fell apart yesterday, MLAs have made clear that the onus now falls on the London government and NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to turn organ donor reforms into reality.

Despite the DUP making clear days in advance that it would veto the assembly debate about Daithi’s Law as part of its NI Protocol protest, the sitting went ahead, grinding to a halt after barely an hour.

Former first minister Paul Givan repeated that the Tory government had shown willingness to step in and impose laws from Westminster on gay marriage, abortion liberalisation and the Irish language.

He said: “I appeal to the secretary of state: he can do this, and he should do it.”