Image source, Getty Images

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a trading arrangement, negotiated during Brexit talks, that was brought into force at the start of 2021.

It allows goods to be smoothly transported across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland without checks.

Before Brexit happened, this was simple because both sides followed the same EU rules.

However, after the UK left the EU, special trading arrangements were needed because Northern Ireland borders the Republic of Ireland, which remains part of the EU.

This became the key sticking point of the Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU.

The EU has strict food rules and requires border checks when certain goods - such as milk and eggs - arrive from non-EU countries.

A land border is a sensitive issue because of Northern Ireland’s troubled past and it was feared that cameras or border posts - as part of these checks - could cause fresh instability

So, the UK and the EU signed the Protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement in order to protect the Northern Ireland peace deal - the Good Friday Agreement. It’s now part of international law.

Ione Wells
Political correspondent

The prime minister won’t be heading to this prime minister’s questions with the prop to hand of a signed and sealed new deal with the EU about trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

I think we can expect Sir Keir Starmer to remind him of that.

And also to remind Rishi Sunak that Labour have offered to lend votes to the government if they need to get a new deal through Parliament but face a rebellion from backbench Tory MPs.

That’s not a scenario that government wants to end up in though.

And so, it continues to thrash out negotiations with the EU that it hopes will resolve trading issues between Great Britain and Northern Ireland - and convince the DUP to go back into government in Northern Ireland.

Without the DUP on board, Northern Ireland risks spending longer without a functioning government at a time there are key issues around the NHS and the cost of living to be resolved. Let’s see if any of their MPs pipe up today.

Also watch out for any Brexiteer Conservative MPs who may use today to make uncomfortable interventions to the prime minister. Some of them want him to plough on with a new law that would just let him override parts of the deal with the EU.

Their support isn’t necessarily crucial to pass a new deal, what with Labour’s offer of support, but it would avoid political embarrassment.

Image source, PA Media

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has left Downing Street and is now making his way to the House of Commons for this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

Heather Sharp
Live reporter

Hello and welcome to our live page - it's that time of the week again where we'll be covering Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons from 1200 GMT.

Expect much of today’s session to focus on the government’s efforts to strike a new deal with the EU about trading agreements for Northern Ireland - an issue that has raised the ire of the Brexiteer wing of the Tory party and has big implications for the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

We could see opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer use the opportunity to highlight divisions among the Conservatives, and continue with his line that PM Rishi Sunak is a “weak” leader. Meanwhile, the more conservative elements of the Tory party could use the session to raise their concerns about the proposed deal.

Strike action around the UK could also be a dominant theme in today’s PMQs. Ministers are due to sit down with the Royal College of Nursing later, but other unions are not involved and teachers are pressing ahead with strikes next week.

Stay with us for live updates..