VdL-Talks w/UK PM On NI Protocol Encouraging, Workable Solution In Reach

Speaking in Ireland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen continued recent trend of positive-sounding comments regarding EU-UK relations. States that talks between the EU and UK are 'marked be a new and more pragmatic spirit'.

• Von der Leyen: "My contact with UK PM Rishi Sunak on the Northern Ireland Protocol is encouraging, and a workable solution is within reach".
• The UK gov't has given signals of its intent in reaching a deal swiftly, most clearly in its efforts to delay a snap election to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Legally obliged to call the snap election by 28 Oct, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Christ Heaton-Harris used legislation to push this back to 19 January, meaning the latest election date would be 13 April.
• There is still the matter of the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, which would unilaterally disapply the protocol and risk a breakdown in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (FTA). This is set to face significant opposition in the House of Lords, and the gov't has not signaled significant intent to push the legislation ahead at pace.
• Moreover, the once-powerful eurosceptic European Research Group of Conservative MPs has much less influence under the Sunak gov't as it did in the Johnson era, potentially limiting the level of backbench opposition the PM might face from a more cooperative stance towards the EU.