UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Belfast on Tuesday to sell his landmark agreement with the European Union to its toughest audience: Unionist politicians who fear post-Brexit trade rules are weakening Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom.
The UK and the 27-nation EU announced Monday that they had struck a deal to resolve a dispute over Northern Ireland trade that has vexed relations since the UK left the bloc in 2020.
The agreement will ease customs checks and other hurdles for goods moving to Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. that were imposed after Brexit to maintain an open border between the north and its EU neighbour, the Republic of Ireland.
The deal, dubbed the Windsor Framework, was hailed by London and Brussels as a breakthrough. But Northern Ireland's British unionist politicians have yet to give it their blessing. Their support is key to restoring Northern Ireland's semi-autonomous government, which has been toppled by the trade feud, leaving 1

Brexit

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen are set to hold face-to-face talks, with expectations high they will seal a deal to resolve a thorny post-Brexit trade dispute.
That would mark a breakthrough after months of bitter wrangling that has soured UK-EU relations, sparked the collapse of the Belfast-based regional government and and threatened to set back Northern Ireland's decades-old peace process.
In a joint statement on Sunday the UK and the EU said European Commission President von der Leyen will travel to Britain on Monday so the leaders can work towards "shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Sunak's office set out a tightly choreographed agenda for Monday suggesting a deal is all but done. It said the leaders' lunchtime final talks would be followed by a meeting of the UK Cabinet, then, if there is a deal, by a joint news conference and a statement by Sunak

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday pledged to give everything he has got to fix the lingering problems of Brexit and clinch a new deal with the European Union (EU) that resolves the problematic Northern Ireland Protocol.
The protocol, agreed by his former boss Boris Johnson, was struck to prevent a hard border between UK territory Northern Ireland and EU member-state Ireland.
However, in practice, it has proved controversial and created a standoff between the UK and EU over a resolution until now, when hopes of a new deal have been revived after intensive talks.
I voted for Brexit and I believe in Brexit because it offers vast opportunities for families and businesses across our whole country, writes Sunak in The Daily Telegraph'.
He notes that while Brexit was about restoring the UK's sovereignty, the Northern Ireland Protocol had undermined that and created "serious barriers to trade within the United Kingdom, and that is unacceptable".
"My job is to seize this ...

Sunak oversaw a diplomatic flurry in recent days, holding meetings with parties in Northern Ireland and with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to lay the groundwork

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has privately asked senior ministers and officials to draw up plans for rebuilding the UK's relations with the European Union after years of acrimony since Brexit

The general assumption that states must have a monopoly of power is fundamentally flawed. It is leading to broken societies

More than six years after voting to leave the European Union, the UK is facing a prolonged recession and a deep cost-of-living crisis

The British government on Sunday denied a report that it is seeking a Swiss-style relationship with the European Union that would remove many of the economic barriers erected by Brexit  even as it tries to improve ties with the bloc after years of acrimony.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Sky News I don't recognise the Sunday Times report, insisting the U.K. was still determined to use the Brexit freedoms we have by diverging from the EU's rules in key areas.
Switzerland has a close economic relationship with the 27-nation EU in return for accepting the bloc's rules and paying into its coffers.
The U.K. government said Brexit means we will never again have to accept a relationship with Europe that would see a return to freedom of movement, unnecessary payments to the European Union or jeopardise the full benefit of trade deals we are now able to strike around the world.
But despite the denials, the new Conservative government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to restore .

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the UK is eager to secure a trade deal with India to boost both economies and that Brexit has meant that Britain no longer has a Eurocentric mindset towards trade or visas.
Addressing a Diwali event organised by UK-based India Global Forum (IGF) in London on Tuesday evening, the Indian-origin Cabinet minister spoke of being a proud member of the British Indian community and hailed the contribution made by the Indian diaspora to British life.
In an apparent effort to override her recent controversial remarks about Indians forming the largest group of visa overstayers, the minister said the UK's villages, towns and cities have been profoundly enriched by immigration from India.
Naturally, there is an economic imperative for our countries to work together, which is why we are so eager to secure a trade deal, said Braverman.
But the boost to our economies is not the only virtue in making our friendship even stronger. We have a shared vision that

Johnson's time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a steady stream of ethics allegations

As Britain's economy grapples with the impact of a record number of job vacancies, a labour market expert has warned that the problem may continue for another three to five years

Britain's government is expected to introduce legislation Monday that would unilaterally change post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland amid opposition from lawmakers

The setting up of an OBR-like fiscal council has been thwarted by bureaucrats scared of losing turf and being accountable to the evidence

Boris Johnson is reportedly set to announce a return to imperial measurements of pounds and ounces as a post-Brexit move away from the metric system to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next week.

The UK announced its plan to introduce legislation to make changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol amid mounting tensions with the European Union (EU) over post-Brexit arrangements.

The two sides have been trying for months to overcome a deadlock over the Northern Ireland protocol, which sets the trading rules for the British region that London agreed before it left the EU

No other capital should matter as much to New Delhi as Brussels

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday reshuffled his Cabinet and appointed Jacob Rees-Mogg as the minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency.

Johnson's opponents accused the government of trying to water down a report that could trigger an attempt to oust the prime minister by his own party

New legislation would facilitate changes to ensure the regulations better suit Britain, says Boris Johnson's govt.

<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The term Brexit, coined by former lawyer Peter Wilding, is a blend of two words - &quot;Britain&quot; and &quot;exit&quot;. He wrote about &quot;Brexit&quot; in May 2012. As the name suggests, the United Kingdom&rsquo;s divorce with the European Union is known as Brexit.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>What is the European Union?</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The European Union (EU) is a grouping of 28 countries that trade and allow their citizens to move freely between nations to work and live. Initially, it was built on the ruins of World War II to end centuries of bloodshed and to integrate economic power.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>How and why the UK ended up planning a divorce with the EU?</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The UK joined the European Economic Community (a regional organisation that aimed to bring about economic integration among its member states) in 1973, which then became part of the European Union when it was created in 1993.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	However, the UK always had always maintained a distance from the EU. It has its own currency - the pound sterling and refrained from joining the Schengen agreement, which removes internal border controls within the EU. The political fraternity in Britain always included people who were opposed to the idea of EU,and this opposition intensified after the 2008 financial crisis. Immigration of migrants from poorer EU states and the fear of refugees from Syria, Africa and the Middle East further intensified scepticism among voters and the politicians.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	In 2012, the then-Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU or leave it. He kept his promise and the UK held the referendum on June 23, 2016. Soon after the result was announced, Cameron resigned.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Why hasn&#39;t Brexit happened yet?</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Brexit was originally due to happen on March 29, 2019, two years after then Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 - the formal process to leave. But she had to push the deadline twice after MPs rejected her Brexit deal.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	The deadlines continued to be extended even after Boris Johnson became the prime minister. The deadline now is January 2020.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Both Theresa May and Johnson have till now failed to win the approval of lawmakers for their Brexit deals, leading to extensions in deadlines.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	This is basically due to differences among the MPs. Some lawmakers favour a &quot;hard&quot; Brexit where the UK withdraws from the EU customs union and single market that allows member states to act as a trading bloc, to pursue its own trade deals with other countries.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&quot;Soft&quot; Brexiteers want to maintain some trade ties with the EU. Some lawmakers are staunch &#39;remainers&#39; and some believe the country should hold a second referendum.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Why would a no-deal Brexit be so bad?</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	If the European Union does not agree to the UK&#39;s terms, the country has the option of going for a no-deal Brexit. But, this has been avoided until now as it is expected to damage the economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;For example, the EU will start carrying out checks on British goods, leading to delays at ports. This will cause disruption to supply routes and hurt the economy.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	<strong>Why is Brexit such a big deal?</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	For Britain, Europe is the most important source of foreign investment and its membership in the EU has helped London cement its position as a global financial centre.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Threats from major businesses to leave Britain over Brexit have become quite frequent. According to government estimates, the country&#39;s economy would be four to nine per cent smaller under Brexit (subject to how it leaves the bloc). While a successful Brexit could be a boon for the working-class that sees immigration as a threat to their jobs, young Britons who dream of studying abroad are apprehensive.</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>

Learn what is Brexit, European union, Brexit deal and why hasn't Brexit happened yet and more here at Business Standard. Get Brexit news here

Brexit

Latest Updates on Brexit