Cleverly says UK and EU looking forward to ‘effective cooperation’ ahead of formal signing of NI Brexit deal – UK politics live

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Cleverly says UK and EU looking forward to ‘effective cooperation’ ahead of formal signing of NI Brexit deal

Good morning. Earlier this week, when it announced that its MPs would be voting against the Windsor framework, the revised version of the Northern Ireland framework negotiated by the UK government and the EU, the DUP said that the deal required “further clarification, re-working and change”.

But it’s too late. They’ve missed the boat. On Tuesday the EU formally accepted the deal, yesterday Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, said there would be “no renegotiating of that deal”, and this morning James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, and Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission vice president, will sign it off. By lunchtime, it will be a done deal.

Cleverly and Šefčovič will settle the matter at a meeting of the withdrawal agreement joint committee. After that they will hold a meeting of the trade and cooperation agreement (the post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal) partnership council. It is only the second time this body has met, and it will consider other, non-Northern Ireland aspects of the UK-EU relationship. It is a sign of how both sides hope the protocol deal can lead to a more general improvement in relations.

Ahead of the meeting, Cleverly said:

By formally approving the Windsor framework, we are delivering on our commitment to provide stability and certainty for Northern Ireland.

The framework is the best deal for Northern Ireland, safeguarding its place in the Union and protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement.

I look forward to further effective cooperation with the EU on key issues, such as security and energy.

In a press notice the Foreign Office says:

The partnership council will cover wider UK-EU cooperation, including on issues such as the UK’s access to EU science and research programmes, energy, trade and security.

The UK will continue to work with the EU in a range of areas including research collaboration, but also strengthening sanctions against Russia as well as energy security, and illegal migration.

Here is the agenda for the day.

8.45am: James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, meets Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission vice president, to formally sign off the Windsor framework, the revised version of the Northern Ireland protocol.

9am: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM, meets Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.

9.30am: MPs debate backbench bills, starting with the remaining stages of the protection from sex-based harassment in public bill.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

5pm: Rishi Sunak speaks at the Conservative party’s spring forum in Birmingham.

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