At 30.30 in the afternoon of February, 27 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stands alongside Ursula van der Leyden, the EU President at a hotel in Windsor. He announces a political breakthrough of historic importance to assembled journalists and a worldwide television audience.
I retain my audio notes and immediate reactions without editing.
The PM introduces the arrival of a replacement to the Northern Ireland protocol with an appropriate marketing label for history, the Windsor framework. It has been rumoured that any successful outcome of the talks with the EU will be presented with a suitably historic name. The location in Windsor has led to speculation that the king will be identified with the outcome, although of course, the Monarch makes no such action without clear instructions from Parliament.
The prime minister talking rather quickly (sign of nerves?) hails success in resolving negotiations that arguably have extended from the result of the Brexit referendum through the period where Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his oven ready deal, which would ‘get Brexit done’.
However, the deal was far from oven ready and resulted in the DUP party, triggering a suspension of the northern Ireland Parliament at Stormont which has remained ever since.
The initial statement empathised the success in the negotiations with the EU in reaching agreement on their future trade relationships. President van der Leyden confirmed this was the case demonstrating her comfort dealing with major political issues. She was also able to indicate more specifically where progress has been made to ensure parity in trade movements in medicines and foodstuffs.
