Legislation aimed at ‘guaranteeing’ the North’s status in the UK and securing ‘unfettered’ trade within the UK internal market has been approved by MPs paving the way for a return of power-sharing.

In the early hours of Tuesday the DUP agreed to return to Stormont if the legislation was brought forward at Westminster.

The legislation is aimed at giving effect to the Tory/DUP ‘Safeguarding the Union’ agreement that includes commitments to guarantee the North’s status in the UK and replace the ‘green lane’ for goods in the Windsor Framework with a ‘UK internal market system’.

The draft Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024 and draft Windsor Framework (Constitutional Status of NI) Regulations 2024 have now both been backed by MPs.

This clears a path for the DUP to return to power-sharing with Jeffrey Donaldson having declared on Tuesday that subject to the ‘passing of new legislative measures in Parliament, and final agreement on a timetable’ the party would nominate ministers.