King Charles was dragged into the dispute over Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit arrangement with the EU after he agreed to meet Ursula von der Leyen later today at Windsor Castle.
The President of the European Commission is in the United Kingdom to approve a new agreement for Northern Ireland. He will also pay a visit to the British monarch following a summit with the Prime Minister.
As Mr. Sunak was accused of ‘antagonizing’ Unionists in Northern Ireland and Brexiteers, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles would have tea with Ms. von de Leyen this afternoon. The statement made clear that the King was following ‘Government advice’
Later, however, the official spokesman for the prime minister stated that the decision was ‘fundamentally’ one for Buckingham Palace, adding that Mr. Sunak ‘firmly believes it is the king’s responsibility to make such decisions.
It is not unusual for His Majesty to accept invitations to meet with certain leaders; he recently met with Presidents Duda and Zelensky.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted that the meeting should not take place, arguing: ‘It enrages those whom the prime minister must appease. It is unwise from a constitutional standpoint to involve the King in an imminent political controversy.
Former DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted, “I cannot quite imagine that No10 would ask HM the King to participate in the finalization of such a controversial deal.” It is vulgar and will fare poorly in Northern Ireland. We must remember that this is not the King’s decision, but rather that of a tone-deaf government.
On Monday, the Prime Minister and Ms. von der Leyen will conduct “final talks” in Windsor, which are anticipated to result in a breakthrough. And now it has been revealed that King Charles will also visit her for afternoon tea at his Berkshire castle on a day that is extremely politically sensitive for the nation.
Buckingham Palace stated, “The King is delighted to meet any world leader who visits the United Kingdom, and the government advises him to do so.”
Among the many topics to be discussed are climate change and Ukraine. Brexit may also be discussed, but Mr. Sunak will be absent.
Before her meeting with the Prime Minister and the Monarch, Ms. von der Leyen arrived in London this morning via Eurostar and stated that she is “looking forward to turning a page and beginning a new chapter with our partner and friend.”
In response to Foster’s remark, the PM’s spokesman stated, ‘There will be a variety of perspectives. Regarding Ms. von der Leyen’s meeting with the Monarch, this is primarily a palace matter.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg, an ERG member and Brexit supporter, stated today that the meeting with the Monarch would be a mistake. Mr. Rees-Mogg, a former Cabinet minister, stated, “It is surprising that The King will meet Ursula von der Leyen today, as it enrages the individuals the PM must appease.”
Additionally, he stated to GB News, ‘I believe the sovereign should only be involved once things have been concluded and accepted.
‘The King grants assent to Acts of Parliament only after Parliament has approved them; he does not express his opinion on Acts of Parliament while they are in process.
I concur that His Majesty should not be involved in this agreement until there is widespread support for it.
Downing Street insists that Mr. Sunak has secured “substantial and far-reaching” concessions.
One Cabinet minister even took a shot at Boris Johnson, alleging that the terms are superior to what Sunak’s predecessors received.
However, the DUP is not anticipated to render a decision immediately, and it has set conditions that are unlikely to be met, such as eliminating the European Court of Justice entirely. The political crisis will persist if the unionists refuse to resume power-sharing at Stormont.
After holding a press conference with Ms. von der Leyen, Mr. Sunak could face opposition from Conservatives when he addresses the House of Commons tonight. Some legislators have already cautioned that the agreement will be unsatisfactory, while other previous hardliners assert they are now flexible.
Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker is reportedly on “resignation watch,” while Boris Johnson waits in the wings, while Mr. Sunak confronts his most precarious moment to date.
It is believed that Brussels has consented to eliminate checks and paperwork for nearly all goods and produce shipped from the British mainland to Northern Ireland. Red and green customs channels will be used to differentiate between goods destined for the province and those destined for the Republic, which remained within the EU.
Mr. Sunak is believed to have secured a bundle that removes single market regulations from 90% of Northern Ireland-made products, so long as they are not destined for the EU.
Although Northern Ireland may still be subject to future EU legislation, a democratic mechanism will be in place to ensure the province’s politicians have a voice and consult with London.
In Northern Ireland, one of the potential flashpoints, the European Court of Justice will remain the definitive arbiter of single market rules. However, safeguards will be in place to demonstrate that the EU cannot refer cases directly.
In what could prove to be a decisive victory, Mr. Sunak appears to have persuaded the bloc that the protocol’s text should be modified, something it had previously refused to do.
It is believed that Brussels has consented to eliminate checks and paperwork for nearly all goods and produce shipped from the British mainland to Northern Ireland. Red and green customs channels will be used to differentiate between goods destined for the province and those destined for the Republic, which remained within the EU.
Mr. Sunak is believed to have secured a bundle that removes single market regulations from 90% of Northern Ireland-made products, so long as they are not destined for the EU.
Although Northern Ireland may still be subject to future EU legislation, a democratic mechanism will be in place to ensure the province’s politicians have a voice and consult with London.
In Northern Ireland, one of the potential flashpoints, the European Court of Justice will remain the definitive arbiter of single market rules. However, safeguards will be in place to demonstrate that the EU cannot refer cases directly.
In what could prove to be a decisive victory, Mr. Sunak appears to have persuaded the bloc that the protocol’s text should be modified, something it had previously refused to do.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of the most prominent Conservative Euroskeptics, stated this morning that the “devil will be in the details.”
In a series of interviews, he refrained from outright rejecting support for the proposal, but implied that Mr. Sunak will fail to win over the DUP.
The ex-Cabinet minister stated on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, ‘There are two things we need to know: the first is what the DUP believes, as the protocol’s first article states that it is subordinate to the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
Therefore, if the DUP does not believe that it passes the criteria, this will have a significant impact on Conservative MPs.
“I’m concerned that with all EU agreements, the devil is in the details, so when people say, ‘We need to see the legal text,’ they are not joking; they want to see it in order to comprehend its impact.”
The meeting’s location in Windsor has increased the likelihood that Ms. von der Leyen will also meet with King Charles during her visit.
However, unionists and some Conservative MPs have expressed concern that the monarch could be dragged into the contentious politics of Brexit.
Mr. Rees-Mogg stated to GB News, “I believe that the sovereign should only be involved once things have been concluded and accepted.”
‘The King grants assent to Acts of Parliament only after Parliament has approved them; he does not express his opinion on Acts of Parliament while they are in process.
I concur that His Majesty should not be involved in this agreement until there is widespread support for it.
Downing Street has emphasized that there are still substantive issues for the PM and Ms von der Leyen to discuss this afternoon, despite the fact that they are believed to have resolved the major points in yesterday’s phone conversation.
Mr. Sunak stated that the agreement “will prove that Brexit is a success and will complete the job,” adding, “This agreement will benefit businesses and communities and get goods flowing.”
It will resolve the problems so that we can all proceed. This will grant Northern Ireland autonomy over its own fate. This is a very positive development.
The package is anticipated to include a ‘Stormont lock’ that will give Northern Ireland a say, but not a veto, over new EU trade laws that will continue to apply in the province.
Mr. Sunak’s plan is opposed by 41 percent of Tory activists, compared to 36 percent who support it, according to a survey conducted by the grassroots website Conservative Home.
Lord Frost, a former Brexit minister, has advised the Prime Minister to reintroduce the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, arguing that it is essential to be’really tough’ with Brussels.
The European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs has announced that it will establish a “star chamber” of attorneys to investigate whether the new agreement meets their sovereignty requirements.
Meanwhile, DUP MP Sammy Wilson stated that it was a “red line” for his party that “no EU law should apply to this part of the United Kingdom.”
Cabinet ministers, who will be formally briefed on the plans this afternoon, contacted Conservative members of parliament last night to bolster support.
The United Kingdom and the European Union have engaged in intense negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol of the original withdrawal agreement that allowed the United Kingdom to depart the European Union.
It was designed to assure the free flow of goods across the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Brexit transformed it from an internal EU line between two countries to a border between the bloc and a third country with distinct customs and trade regulations.
In any other circumstance, the problem could be resolved by establishing a “hard” border – physical checks on vehicles and persons traveling between the two countries.
However, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of violence, prohibits the return of such checkpoints on the island of Ireland.
To circumvent this, the protocol erected economic barriers for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It has proven to be extremely controversial among unionists, who believe it has weakened Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom.
In protest of the arrangements, the DUP dissolved the power-sharing institutions at Stormont last year. It occurred as Sinn Fein superseded the party as the largest in the power-sharing government for the first time.
And the DUP is refusing to support an agreement and resume powersharing until their concerns are addressed. They have established seven requirements for approval.
This afternoon, Mr. Sunak is anticipated to release the details in a statement to the Parliament.
Concerns have been raised, however, that MPs have not yet been assured a vote on the agreement.
Some worry that they have been kept in the dark during negotiations.
One member of parliament claimed that Downing Street had kept them in the dark in order to “position everything up” and present the agreement as “done deal.”
As Euroskeptic Conservative MPs from the European Research Group (ERG) have demanded, Downing Street has not completely committed to granting Parliament a vote on the agreement.
No10 has been warned that rebels will compel them to hold an indicative vote regardless of their desires.
The prime minister will inform the House of Representatives that his agreement will secure Northern Ireland’s membership in the Union and safeguard the future of the Good Friday Agreement.
It is expected to lead to the abolition of EU checks on goods sent to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom, which have caused significant problems for businesses and families and sparked fears among unionists that Northern Ireland will be forced to leave the United Kingdom.
Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, stated that Mr. Sunak was “on the verge” of a deal that would result in a “substantial reduction” of the function of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Raab stated that the agreement would represent a “paradigm shift” in relations and “would be very positive news for Northern Ireland’s communities and, I believe, the Good Friday Agreement as well.”
Ministers are optimistic that they can win over the majority of Euroskeptic Tory MPs with an agreement that, according to Mr. Raab, will “properly and completely complete Brexit” and pave the way for warmer relations with the EU.
However, senior DUP figures cautioned that they were not yet persuaded that the agreement would be sufficient to convince them to re-enter power-sharing in Northern Ireland, a key objective of the prime minister.
And some Tory Euroskeptics stated that they would have difficulty supporting an agreement that was not supported by the DUP and gave the EU a foothold in the United Kingdom.
Boris Johnson warned the Prime Minister last week that the ‘best path forward’ would be to take unilateral legal powers to eliminate EU trade checks in Northern Ireland.
Mr Sunak yesterday said he was ‘giving it everything we’ve got’ to get an agreement.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister stated that his new arrangement was not a threat to Brexit, but rather aimed to “ensure that Brexit works throughout the United Kingdom.”
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