Rishi Sunak will hold face-to-face talks in the UK with the European Commission president as he looks to finalise a deal to fix issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol. In a joint statement on Sunday from Downing Street and the European Commission, they confirmed the Prime Minister and Ursula von der Leyen would meet to discuss the 'range of complex challenges around' the Brexit treaty.
It comes after speculation mounted that a deal could be announced imminently, with Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab saying Britain and the European Union were on the 'cusp' of striking an agreement.
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In the joint statement issued by Downing Street, the pair said: "Today, president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, agreed to continue their work in person towards shared, practical solutions for the range of complex challenges around the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. President von der Leyen will therefore meet with the Prime Minister in the UK tomorrow."
A deal has been expected for days. Earlier today Mr Raab earlier told the BBC the UK was close to securing an agreement with the European Union.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Raab said: "We're on the cusp, we've made great progress, we're not there yet, but it would be a really important deal... I think it would mark a paradigm shift first and foremost for the communities in Northern Ireland, but I think it would be a significant achievement."
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