To heal Brexit wound, U.K. and EU strike a Northern Ireland trade deal
LONDON — Britain and the European Union struck a landmark agreement Monday to end a festering dispute over post-brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, potentially resolving one of the most poisonous legacies of Britain’s exit from Europe’s trade bloc in 2020.
The agreement, concluded after weeks of confidential talks and multiple false starts, could have far-reaching economic and political consequences: averting a trade war between Britain and the European Union, smoothing Britain’s relations with its continental neighbors, making it simpler to ship goods between
Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and opening the door to restoring a functioning government in Northern Ireland after months of paralysis.
It could also remove a lingering irritant between Britain and the United States. President Joe Biden had pressed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain to negotiate an end to the impasse with Brussels, and the deal could smooth the way for a visit by the president to London and Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of bloodshed known as the Troubles.
Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced the deal, which they called the “Windsor Framework,” after working out the final terms at a meeting in Windsor, outside London.
“The United Kingdom and the European Union may have had our differences in the past, but we are allies, trading partners and friends,” Sunak declared. “This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.”
Von der Leyen said the agreement would allow them to remove a source of friction and focus on greater challenges, including curbing climate change and defending Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Northern Ireland’s trade rules, as fiendishly complex as they are, have become a totemic issue for Brexiteers and unionists because of the territory’s unique status: It is part of the United Kingdom but shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union and its single market. For Sunak, who came to power in October and is trailing the opposition Labour Party in the polls, the deal is a litmus test for his young government. A negative reaction could embolden, Boris Johnson, who was ousted, but may harbor ambitions for a comeback.