After years of Brexit bickering, approving the deal would pave the way for the UK to deepen its relations with the EU, its largest trade partner.

The hardest sell for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's administration is starting to persuade the Northern Irish lawmakers who are opposed to the accord to support it.

A small group of unionist lawmakers from Northern Ireland and a significant number of pro-Brexit MPs from his own Conservative Party must be won over by Sunak's team. Failing may necessitate forcing the agreement through with the opposition Labour Party's backing, which might be politically harmful.

In an effort to win over unionists and business leaders to the plan, the prime minister is in Belfast on Tuesday. According to him, the deal helps ease their worries, he told BBC Radio.

The Democratic Unionist Party's Jeffrey Donaldson told the same show that "progress" had been achieved but that "certain difficulties" still remained. Before stating its position, the party would "take time to analyse the law wording," he added.

Hardline DUP lawmakers Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley made it known on Monday night that they would oppose the agreement.

Officials from the government expressed cautious optimism regarding the success of the deal. According to one, people were generally relieved by Donaldson's measured public remarks and expressed hope that not all of his party's MPs would oppose the deal.

The initial Brexit agreement essentially created a customs border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the area while providing Northern Ireland with exclusive access to both the UK and EU markets. It was difficult to put into practice and problematic given the complicated politics of the area. Also, pro-Brexit politicians looking to prolong the conflict with EU turned it into a seductive target.

The lack of reaction from Sunak's top internal opponents, former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, who are both considering Monday's statement, gave officials hope. Sunak said he had just informed Johnson about the agreement. He said to the BBC, "Of course I speak to the previous prime minister."

New Relationships

After years of Brexit bickering, approving the deal would pave the way for the UK to deepen its relations with the EU, its largest trade partner.

According to Anton Spisak, a senior scholar at the Tony Blair Center for Global Change who previously worked on the UK's Brexit discussions, "His reward will be stronger ties with the EU and America."

It's expected to revive numerous concerns that Brussels had put on hold, including the Horizon scientific programme, which is good news for UK colleges. It may also be possible to open a financial services agreement that was previously reached but not signed.

Sunak's friends believe that the agreement will pave the way for greater collaboration on eliminating small boat immigration over the Channel, which is important for the Conservative Party's election prospects.

The US has shown interest in investing in Northern Ireland, therefore the UK is also hoping that the Windsor agreement would further strengthen relations with the US.

(Bloomberg.com, bbcnews.co.uk)