Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has outlined details of the “new Windsor Framework” agreed with the European Union to overcome trade barriers in Northern Ireland following Brexit.
The prime minister said the agreement was a “historic” and a “decisive breakthrough” that “delivers smooth-flowing trade within the whole of the United Kingdom, protects Northern Ireland’s place in our union and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland”.
The new deal includes:
- Green and red lane trade routes – where goods staying in the UK will use a green lane to avoid customs bureaucracy, while goods moving to the EU will use a red lane
- UK VAT and excise changes will apply in Northern Ireland – British products such as food and drink, trees, plants and seed potatoes will be available in Northern Ireland and pet travel requirements have been removed
- A “landmark” settlement on medicines so drugs approved for use by the UK’s medicines regulator will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland
- A new “Stormont brake” – to safeguard sovereignty in Northern Ireland. Stormont can stop changes in EU goods laws from applying in Northern Ireland. If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto that will apply permanently
Follow live updates on new post-Brexit deal
For weeks, there has been speculation over whether a new deal could be thrashed out three years after Brexit took place as Mr Sunak entered talks with the EU.
But terms of the deal were revealed at a news conference following final talks between Mr Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Windsor this lunchtime.
Mr Sunak said the agreement “marks a turning point for the people of Northern Ireland” that “fixes the practical problems they face” yet “preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement”.
On the changes to customs and VAT rules, Mr Sunak said: “This means we have removed any sense of a border in the Irish Sea.”
Ms von der Leyen said the 27-page, 13,031-word framework “will allow us to begin a new chapter” and it “provides for long-lasting solutions that both of us are confident will work for all people and businesses in Northern Ireland”.
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‘We knew deal would not be easy’
The two leaders were glowing in their respect for each other, with Ms von der Leyen calling the PM “dear Rishi” a few times and said they were “honest with each other about the difficulties in our bilateral relationship and it was vital to put that on the right footing”.
Mr Sunak said: “The United Kingdom and European Union may have had our differences in the past, but we are allies, trading partners and friends.
“Something that we’ve seen clearly the past year as we joined with others to support Ukraine. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.”
Next hurdle: Tory Brexiteers and DUP
Mr Sunak put the deal – the biggest move of his premiership – to his cabinet on Monday afternoon during a virtual meeting but a vote by MPs in the Commons is not expected until possibly next week.
Following speculation there may not be a vote on the deal by MPs, Mr Sunak confirmed parliament will have a vote “at the appropriate time”.
On whether Tory Brexiteers and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – who has refused to form an executive in Stormont in protest of the former protocol – may try to block the deal, Mr Sunak said it is “not about politicians” and is about “what’s best” for the people of Northern Ireland.
Earlier in the day, Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg warned Mr Sunak of a possible Tory revolt if the DUP did not support the deal.
The two sides appeared cordial as they completed the deal’s details. Pic: Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said in a statement that the agreement showed “significant progress has been secured across a number of areas”, but there remained “key issues of concern”, adding: “There can be no disguising the fact that in some sectors of our economy EU law remains applicable in Northern Ireland.”
He said his party would “study the detail” of the framework and “where necessary we stand ready to engage with the government in order to seek further clarification, re-working or change as required”.
However, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill said there should now be no more delays to the restoration of the Stormont institutions.
“I was always very clear that the protections that were secured within the protocol were very necessary, they remain necessary,” she told Sky News.
“Protecting those things that were working and smoothing out the things that needed to be fixed, that is the position we are standing in this evening.
“All different parties need to sit down at the executive table taking the decisions which impact on people’s lives, that is where we should be.”
Jeffrey Donaldson and Michelle O’Neill have both given their responses to the new deal
Ireland’s deputy leader and foreign affairs minister Michael Martin welcomed the deal, saying he believes unionists will see it as a “genuine response” to their concerns.
Mr Sunak will meet the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs on Tuesday evening to try to persuade them to back the deal.
But first he will make a statement on the deal to MPs in the House of Commons on Monday evening.
Read more:
What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
What are the DUP’s seven tests?
There has been early support from Brexiteer and Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, who told Sky News the framework “restores Northern Ireland’s place in the union”.
He added: “I think this is a win and I think it’s very important in politics to know when you’ve had a win-win solution for all sides – bank it and move forwards… this is a time to bank what is a radical improvement for the people of Northern Ireland.”
Asked if they were happy with the deal on leaving Number 10 just after the virtual cabinet meeting, Home Secretary Suella Braverman smiled and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab gave a thumbs up.
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said an agreement was “long overdue” and was “beyond party politics” as he confirmed Labour will support the deal.
Why was a new deal needed?
The deal follows frustrations around the Northern Ireland Protocol, which aimed to prevent creating a hard border on the island of Ireland – but effectively placed a border in the Irish Sea.
This was something former prime minister Boris Johnson promised would not happen when he signed off on the original deal with the EU.
The DUP has refused to form an executive at Stormont until the protocol is ditched, meaning the Assembly has not been functioning for months.
Some businesses have ceased trading due to the extra cost and bureaucracy created by goods coming into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK having to be checked over concerns they could end up going into the EU over the border in Ireland.
Mr Johnson introduced the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill to override that part of the Brexit deal but this caused tension with the EU, who said the move risked breaching an international treaty.
King Charles met Ursula von der Leyen after the press conference
The ex-prime minister told Sky News last week that continuing with the bill was the “best way forward”.
But the bill’s passage through parliament was paused by Mr Sunak and will now be dropped, in return for the EU dropping legal proceedings against the UK.
Ms Von der Leyen headed off to meet King Charles for tea at Windsor Castle after she and the PM announced the deal.
An Israeli air strike has hit a hospital in Gaza City, with pictures showing the devastating aftermath at some of its wards.
The al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital was hit by multiple missiles, the Hamas-run health ministry said, adding hundreds of patients, medical personnel, and their companions were on site at the time of the attack.
It said the Israeli army had targeted what it described as “one of the oldest and most vital healthcare institutions operating in the Gaza Strip”.
One patient died during the evacuation as medical staff were unable to provide urgent care, it said.
No other casualties have been reported.
Pic: AP
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they “struck a command and control centre used by Hamas” in the hospital.
“The compound was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” they said in a statemement.
“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians or to the hospital compound, including issuing advanced warnings in the area of the terror infrastructure, the use of precise munitions, and aerial surveillance.
“The Hamas terrorist organisation systematically violates international law while using civilian infrastructure, brutally exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for its terrorist activities.”
The health facility’s director, Dr Fadel Naim, said they were warned of the attack beforehand.
A closer look at what was the hospital’s outpatient and laboratory wards. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Hamas has denied using hospitals for military purposes throughout the war and has accused Israel of intentionally targeting its medical infrastructure in its ongoing offensive.
The latest strikes come after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and restarted its air and ground offensive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also imposed a month-long blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid – a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime.
Israel reconstructs Morag corridor
The Morag Corridor under construction. Pic: IDF
On Saturday, Israel said it had completed the construction of a new security corridor that cuts off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza.
The security corridor was referred to by Israeli officials as the Morag Axis, a reference to a former Israeli settlement previously located in an area between the two southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
The prime minister said the move gives Israel control of a second axis in southern Gaza in addition to the Philadelphi Corridor, running along the border with Egypt, which Israel sees as a key line stopping weapons being smuggled into Gaza.
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Israeli forces encircle Rafah
Israel has also gained control of the Netzarim Corridor, which cuts off the northern third of Gaza from the rest of the territory.
Morag’s construction is part of Israel’s pledge to seize large parts of Gaza to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages and accept proposed ceasefire terms, and it further squeezes Palestinians into shrinking areas of land.
In a statement on Saturday, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said his country’s military would soon expand “rapidly” throughout most of Gaza and that Palestinians would “have to evacuate the fighting zones”.
He did not say where Palestinians were supposed to go.
The war between Israel and Hamas began when Hamas-led militants invaded Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
Some 59 hostages are still being held in Gaza, with 24 still believed to be alive.
The ensuing Israeli offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but has previously said more than half of those killed in the conflict are women and children.
World
Iran says ‘indirect talks’ have taken place with US over nuclear programme – with more to follow
Iran says “indirect talks” over the country’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme have taken place with US officials, with more to come next week.
The discussions on Saturday took place in Muscat, Oman, with the host nation’s officials mediating between representatives of Iran and the US, who were seated in separate rooms, according to Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry.
After the talks concluded, Oman and Iranian officials reported that Iran and the US had had agreed to hold more negotiations next week.
Oman’s foreign minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi tweeted after the meeting, thanking Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for joining the negotiations aimed at “global peace, security and stability”.
“We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal,” he added.
(L-R) Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi meets his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. Pic: Iranian foreign ministry/AP
Iranian state media claimed the US and Iranian officials “briefly spoke in the presence of the Omani foreign minister” at the end of the talks – a claim Mr Araghchi echoed in a statement on Telegram.
He added the talks took place in a “constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect” and that they would continue next week.
American officials did not immediately acknowledge the reports from Iran.
Mr Araghchi said before the meeting on Saturday there was a “chance for initial understanding on further negotiations if the other party [US] enters the talks with an equal stance”.
He told Iran’s state TV: “Our intention is to reach a fair and honourable agreement – from an equal footing.
“And if the other side has also entered from the same position, God willing, there will be a chance for an initial agreement that can lead to a path of negotiations.”
Reuters news agency said an Omani source told it the talks were focused on de-escalating regional tensions, prisoner exchanges and limited agreements to ease sanctions in exchange for controlling Iran’s nuclear programme.
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Trump on Monday: ‘We’re in direct talks with Iran’
President Donald Trump has insisted Tehran cannot get nuclear weapons.
He said on Monday that the talks would be direct, but Tehran officials insisted it would be conducted through an intermediary.
Mr Trump also warned Iran would be in “great danger” if negotiations fail.
“Hopefully those talks will be successful, it would be in Iran’s best interests if they are successful,” he said. “We hope that’s going to happen.”
He added Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the talks aren’t successful, I actually think it will be a very bad day for Iran”.
The comments came after Mr Trump’s previous warnings of possible military action against Iran if there is no deal over its nuclear programme.
Read more:
Trump undergoes annual medical check-up
Polish president backs Trump over Ukraine
Saturday’s meeting marked the first between the countries since Mr Trump’s second term in the White House began.
During his first term, he withdrew the US from a deal between Iran and world powers designed to curb Iran’s nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief.
He also reimposed US sanctions.
Iran has since far surpassed that deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is wholly for civilian energy purposes but Western powers accuse it of having a clandestine agenda.
Mr Witkoff came from talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, as the US tries to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
World
President Duda says Trump best chance for Ukraine peace – and urges allies to stay calm over tariffs ‘shock therapy’
Poland’s outgoing President Andrzej Duda has kept few revelations for the final weeks of his presidency.
Ten years in office – a tenure spanning Donald Trump’s first and current term – his admiration for the incumbent leader of the free world remains undimmed. As is his conviction that Ukraine’s only chance of peace lies with the US leader.
In an interview with Sky News in the presidential palace in Warsaw, President Duda described Mr Trump‘s tariff policy as “shock therapy”, a negotiating tactic from a man “of huge business and commercial success” that he now brings to the arena of politics.
That may not be what European politicians are used to, Mr Duda says, but Donald Trump is answerable to the US taxpayer and not to his European counterparts, and allies must “stay calm” in the face of this new transatlantic modus operandi.
As for negotiations with Vladimir Putin, President Duda is sure that Donald Trump has the measure of the Russian leader, while refusing to be drawn on the competencies of his chief negotiator Steve Witkoff who landed on Friday in Moscow for further talks with Vladimir Putin – a man Mr Witkoff has described as “trustworthy” and “not a bad guy”.
Putting the kybosh on Nord Stream 2 in his first term and thwarting President Putin’s energy ambitions via his state-owned energy giant Gazprom are evidence enough that Mr Trump knows where to hit so it hurts, Mr Duda says.
Given the failures of Europe’s leaders to negotiate peace through the Minsk accords, he believes the onus now falls on Donald Trump.
“If anyone is able to force the end of Russia’s war, it is most likely only the President of the United States,” he says.
“The question is whether he will be determined enough to do that in a way – because it is also very important here in Europe being a neighbour of Russian aggression against Ukraine – that the peace is fair and lasting.”
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The Polish NATO base on the frontline with Russia
President Duda has just weeks left in office before the country votes for a new president in May.
Originally from Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party, one of the few points of alignment with the liberal and euro-centric prime minister Donald Tusk is the emphasis both place on security.
Hopes for ‘Fort Trump’ base
So did the announcement this week that the US would be withdrawing from the Jasionka air base near Rzeszow, which is the key logistics hub for allied support into Ukraine, come as a shock to the president, as it did to many Poles?
Not at all, Mr Duda says.
“We were warned that the change was planned. I have not received any information from [the US] about decreasing the number of American soldiers. Quite the opposite.”
US defence secretary Hegseth and President Duda met in February. Pic: Reuters
He referred back to talks with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth in February, saying: “We discussed strengthening the American presence in Poland, and I mentioned the idea of creating a huge base of US troops. Then, we called it Fort Trump. I do still hope that this idea will be implemented.”
Read more:
Eyewitness: Inside Polish NATO base on frontline with Russia
Andrzej Duda has staked his legacy on close ties with Donald Trump at a time when many NATO allies are considering a form of de-Americanisation, as they consider new trading realities and build up their own defence capabilities.
Poland has proven itself a model in terms of defence spending, investing more than any other NATO member – a massive 4.7% of GDP for 2025. But as the case of Canada shows, even the best of friendships can turn sour.
The Canadian conservative party, once dubbed a maple MAGA, was flying high in the polls before Donald Trump decided to savage links with his closest trading partner.
Now in the space of just a few months they are floundering behind the ruling liberal party. Is this a cautionary tale for Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party?
“For Canadian conservatives it is a kind of side effect of President Trump’s very tough economic policy,” Mr Duda says.
“In Poland, this does not have such an impact. The security issues are the most important. That’s the most important issue in Poland.”
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