Northern Ireland protocol deal: key political hurdles for Rishi Sunak

Despite prospect of breakthrough pitfalls remain, from getting DUP onside to appeasing Tory hardliners

Rishi Sunak is embarking on the highest-stakes talks of his premiership as he tries to tie up a deal on post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland that satisfies leaders there and across Europe, as well as the hardliners in his own party.

But despite the prospect of a breakthrough between Downing Street and Brussels, there are still plenty of potential pitfalls. These are the key political hurdles the prime minister will have to clear if he wants to finally “get Brexit done”, rated by difficulty.