Northern Ireland Protocol: What does the new deal mean for the UK?

The United Kingdom and European Union have announced changes to the mechanism governing trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In the three years since the UK’s official withdrawal from the EU, the Northern Ireland Protocol has been an ongoing point of contention, which even led to the collapse of the government in Belfast last year.

What’s in the deal?

Under the current arrangements, all products arriving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain are checked, as the province effectively remains in the EU’s single market for goods, while the rest of the UK does not.