What is the Stormont brake and will it help restore power sharing in Northern Ireland?

Windsor framework makes it harder for the DUP to oppose the deal without losing the chance of an effective veto on new single market rules

The most interesting part of the press conference between the UK prime minister and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, was probably what Rishi Sunak said about the deal including a “Stormont brake”, which will allow the Northern Ireland assembly to stop new EU single market rules from applying in the region.

He said the agreement “safeguards sovereignty” for Northern Ireland as a result. It had been reported that the – known as the Windsor framework – would give the Northern Ireland a right to be consulted on new single market rules; but this goes further, because the assembly would be able to block new rules applying in Northern Ireland.

The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the framework is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Ireland business to continue accessing the EU market.

But I know many people in Northern Ireland are worried about being subject to changes in EU goods law.