BREAKTHROUGH

Boris Johnson Strikes New Brexit Deal With EU Leaders, but British Lawmakers Remain Unconvinced

The rejigged deal was agreed to Thursday, but it’s still unclear if it can win approval from lawmakers in the British Parliament.

A Brexit deal has been agreed to by the U.K. and EU negotiating teams—but it’s still far from certain if Boris Johnson will be able to gain the approval of the British Parliament for his new deal. The prime minister hailed the agreement as “a great new deal that takes back control,” echoing the campaign slogan he used during the 2016 referendum. The new agreement is largely similar to one made by Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May, but removes the most controversial part—her arrangements for the Irish border after the U.K. leaves the EU. By removing it, Johnson hoped to secure the support of pro-Brexit lawmakers both in his own party, who feared the arrangement would keep the U.K. too closely aligned to the EU, and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which could hold the key to getting the numbers for Johnson’s minority government. However, the DUP said earlier Thursday it still had reservations about Johnson’s new deal, meaning its passage remains unclear.