Brexit Brief 139

The Northern Ireland Protocol impasse continues to challenge political leadership in Ireland, Britain and the EU, amid an extraordinary global and domestic context: Russia’s continuing aggression and illegal annexations in Ukraine; political, economic and market crises in UK, with Bank of England interventions and IMF warnings; an Irish Budget framed in face of historic cost-of-living challenges; and EU efforts to find agreed policy responses to the continuing Energy crisis. Nonetheless, some positive noises are emerging as the new UK government faces the Protocol issue, and these may present opportunities for progress.