Daniel McConnell: No sign of DUP compromise on EU-UK deal

While Rishi Sunak met political leaders of all stripes on Friday, his real mission was to get the Protocol refuseniks on board

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson speaking to the media after his extensive talks with Rishi Sunak in Belfast earlier today. Picture: Charles McQuillan/Getty

It is almost eerily and depressingly anticipated that any sign of hope of progress on matters related to Northern Ireland has to be scotched and dashed by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

For weeks now, we have heard increasingly positive soundings from the talks between the EU and the UK on a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol, which despite having been signed by the then UK government, is now deemed to be not working.