Times-PM Sunak Preparing To Announce New Brexit Deal Monday

Stwven Swinford at The Times: "Rishi Sunak preparing ground to announce new Brexit deal on Monday Potential Cabinet call on Sunday Three-line whip for Tory MPs on Monday BUT all hinges on DUP - further talks expected over weekend."

• The escalation in frequency of high-level talks between UK and EU officials has raised speculation that talks were in the final 'tunnel' phase for reaching an agreeement on reforming the Northern Ireland protocol. If a lasting deal can be struck it could pave the way for an improvement in relations between the UK and the EU, allowing the two sides to focus on other areas of cooperation, as opposed to the past 18 months where all political oxygen has been used up by wrangling over the protocol.
• So far, language from the hard-line unionist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has been largely negative towards the prospect of an agreement. The eurosceptic ERG grouping within Sunak's Conservative party looks set to oppose any deal not approved by the DUP. The stance of MPs close to former PM Boris Johnson could prove crucial in Sunak winning or losing a Commons vote on any new protocol.