U.K. nears deal on N.ireland trade

Britain and the European Union neared a landmark agreement on post-brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, announcing Sunday that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would travel to Britain on Monday to work out the final details with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

After two weeks of false starts, last-minute hitches and closeddoor wrangling, Sunak and von der Leyen appeared on the cusp of a deal, which, if successful, could resolve one of the most bedeviling legacies of Brexit: the so- called Northern Ireland Protocol, which governs trade in the territory.

In a joint statement late Sunday afternoon, Sunak and von der Leyen said they had “agreed to continue their work in person towards shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.”

Although the deal could still fall apart, diplomats said it was highly unlikely that the leaders would agree to meet if they were not ready to sign. Earlier, Sunak said he was working through the weekend to nail down an agreement, telling The Sunday Times of London in an interview posted Saturday evening that he was optimistic there would be a “positive outcome.”

“There’s unfinished business on Brexit, and I want to get the job done,” Sunak said in his first public remarks about the deal. “As someone who believes in Brexit, voted for Brexit, campaigned for Brexit, I want to demonstrate that Brexit works, and it works for every part of the United Kingdom.”

This is not the first time Sunak has been on the brink of an announcement. Last weekend, he was expected to unveil a deal within days, only to pull back amid signs of a rebellion by the main pro-british party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionists, and the hardline supporters of Brexit in his own Conservative Party.

The threat of a mutiny has not gone away — there was a new report of stinging opposition to Sunak’s plans by his predecessor, Boris Johnson — but Sunak’s remarks suggested he was ready to face a confrontation with Johnson and other holdouts to settle a chronic dispute with Brussels.

“This is not about third parties or anyone else,” Sunak said. “It’s about the people and communities of Northern Ireland. It’s about what’s best for them, and that’s what everyone should have in the uppermost of their minds.”