UK papers were largely behind Rishi Sunak’s new deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol as they hailed the prime minister for winning over the EU in a bid to end the row over post-Brexit arrangements in the region.
Dubbed the Windsor Framework, the deal is lengthy, complicated and currently being poured over by the Democratic Unionist Party, Tory backbenchers and businesses across Northern Ireland.
On our own The Independent front page, we praise the PM for “finally” getting Brexit done
The Times and i hail the development as a “Brexit breakthrough”, which grants Britain the power to veto EU laws.
The Telegraph, The Guardian and the Daily Express all carry comments from Mr Sunak, who calls the deal a “new way forward”.
The Financial Times reports the Northern Ireland trade deal “eases post-Brexit tensions with Brussels”.
The Daily Mail asks if Mr Sunak has “done the impossible” by getting an agreement over the line.
Away from Brexit, the Daily Mirror leads with a claim from serial killer Peter Sutcliffe’s niece that his ashes have been scattered near Arnside, Cumbria.
The Sun, meanwhile, reports Broadchurch actor Andrew Buchan has split from wife Amy Nuttall.
And the Daily Star says the Mexican president has claimed to have captured photographic proof of a “mythical tree-climbing elf”.
The Belfast Telegraph says the DUP is unlikely to make an immediate Stormont return even if deal gets green light, with party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson saying he won’t “rushed or pushed” into a hasty decision.
The Irish Times covered Mr Sunak hailing the deal as a “new chapter”, referencing his plea to hardline Tory Brexiteers to back the Windsor Framework to help Britain to “take back control”.
The Irish Independent, meanwhile, describes the DUP’s “extreme caution” but says taoiseach Leo Varadkar has welcomed the deal.
The Irish News leads with an assessment of the “brutal” dilemma facing Donaldson by columist Alex Kane: “Reject a deal which a UK parliament is likely to endorse with a massive majority… Or face down his internal and external opponents and try and persuade a majority of unionist voters that, while not perfect, the Windsor Framework is much better than most people imagined even as recently as the start of January.”
