Brexit is back…again. The Northern Ireland protocol is front and centre of the news agenda once more following the assembly elections last week. The DUP is refusing to enter government unless the protocol is scrapped, as London and Brussels engage in another war of words over the controversial trading arrangements.
Inside the bubble
Parliament is not sitting.
Coming up:
– Universities minister Michelle Donelan on BBC Breakfast at 7.30am
–Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on LBC at 8.50am
Daily Briefing
- GET BREXIT DONE: Brandon Lewis is in Northern Ireland today where he has the unenviable task of encouraging the five main parties to form an executive following Sinn Fein’s historic victory in last week’s assembly elections. Are those discussions likely to bear fruit? In a word, no. The DUP, who came second in the poll but whose support as the largest unionist party is required for power-sharing, is refusing to enter government unless the Brexit protocol is scrapped. Speaking ahead of his visit, the NI secretary said the people of NI “deserve stable and accountable devolved government”. “We have to address the outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland protocol,” he said. “We want to do that by agreement with the EU, but as we have always made clear, we will not shy away from taking further steps if necessary,” he added. We’ll have updates throughout the day on our liveblog.
- ON THAT NOTE: Prepare yourself for plenty more tough talk between London and Brussels in the weeks ahead as the two sides continue wrangling over the post-Brexit trading rules. Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, is threatening to tear up the protocol (yes, again) unless the bloc agrees to scrap border checks soon – despite warnings that such a move could spark a “horrific” trade war. But a Foreign Office source said a compromise appeared unlikely after European Commission negotiator Maros Sefcovic recently made clear in a call to Truss that the EU could not go beyond its existing proposals to ease only some checks.
- UKRAINE UPDATE: Vladimir Putin’s forces bombed a school in Luhansk region’s Bilohorivka village, killing 60 people, governor Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday. The school was sheltering 90 people at the time it was struck by a Russian bomb. Meanwhile, the Russian president is due to address a military parade in Red Square on Russia’s Victory Day holiday. Grand celebrations are expected in Russia on Monday as the country marks its 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in second World War over Nazi Germany. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
- PARTYGATE: With the local elections out of the way we are likely to see more updates on Partygate in the days and weeks ahead and reports say the Metropolitan Police has begun issuing fines for Covid law-breaking at a Christmas party held at No 10 on 18 December 2020. The festive bash, details of which first emerged at the end of last year and sparked the Partygate scandal, was said to have been attended by dozens of Boris Johnson’s staff. Scotland Yard would not confirm if fines had yet been issued over the event – held while London was in strict Tier 3 measures – but it is one of 12 events its Operation Hillman team is investigating.
- BEERGATE: Labour’s attacks on Partygate look to be somewhat neutralised now that Keir Starmer is facing mounting questions about claims he broke the rules himself during a visit to Durham in April last year. A memo leaked to The Mail on Sunday indicated that the takeaway meal in Durham had been planned as part of Sir Keir’s itinerary for 8.40pm to 10pm on the day of campaigning in April. No further work was scheduled after the dinner. The only business listed after the dinner was for Sir Keir to walk back to his hotel, according to the report. He has previously claimed he “paused for food” and continued working after the meal, saying “the idea that nobody works at 10 o’clock at night is absurd”. Separately, a source who was present at the event told The Sunday Times: “He did not go back to work to the best of my knowledge.” The same source said some Labour people “were just there for a jolly”. A spokesperson for the leader’s office denied any rules had been broken.
- ‘INSIDIOUS’: A former civil servant received a six-figure pay-out from the government over discrimination after she says was subjected to “insidious” racism during a 20-year battle with the Ministry of Justice. Olivea Ebanks, 58, worked at the ministry for almost 20 years and took it to court three times; in 2008, 2011 and finally in 2020 for cases respectively won, lost and settled, The Independent can reveal.
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On the record
“We don’t need threats of unilateral action, unilateral legislation in Westminster. What we need is partnership and intense negotiations to try and finally settle the issues around the protocol without dismantling an international treaty.”
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney on Brexit’s Northern Ireland protocol.
From the Twitterati
“Talk of reunification will get all the headlines. But that belies the fact the politics and power bloc of NI remains finely balanced. Finding a way through this impasse will be extremely difficult. It’s going to be up to London and Dublin to find answers. The stakes are high.”
BBC Newsnight policy editor Lewis Goodall on Northern Ireland’s assembly elections.
Essential reading
- Lisa Nandy, The Independent: Labour gains at the local elections are a turning point for our party
- Hamish McRae, The Independent: Inflation means a tough 2023 – but this isn’t the 1970s all over again
- Clare Foges, The Times:Think the unthinkable to ease housing crisis
- Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic: Where the language of democracy is a cover
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