Northern Ireland's DUP strikes deal to return to power-sharing government

The leader of Northern Ireland's DUP announces a deal with the UK government on post-Brexit trade rules, resolving a political crisis.

The leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it had reached a deal with the British government on the operation of post-Brexit trade rules that would allow it to return to the region's power-sharing government.

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government for almost two years after the DUP walked out in protest over the trade rules, which it said created barriers with the rest of the United Kingdom and undermined Northern Ireland's place in it.

A return to government by the region's largest pro-British party offers a way out of a crisis that posed an existential threat to the political settlement underpinning Northern Ireland's 1998 peace deal and also puts an end to one of the most difficult aspects of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

"I am pleased to report that the party executive has now endorsed the proposals that I have put to them," Jeffrey Donaldson told a news conference in the early hours of January 30 morning after an hours-long briefing to DUP lawmakers and party members.

"Subject to the binding commitments between the Democratic Unionist Party and the U.K. government being fully and faithfully delivered as agreed... the package of measures in totality does provide a basis for our party to nominate members to the Northern Ireland executive," he added.

Any deal risked a split in the DUP while also providing ammunition to rivals including the much smaller Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party, who oppose any compromise, ahead of a UK general election due by late January next year.

Earlier around 50 protesters, some holding Union Jack flags and signs saying "Stop DUP sellout", gathered outside the hotel where Mr. Donaldson briefed party members after months of closely guarded talks.