Downing Street has indicated that it intends to proceed with a new trading regime for Northern Ireland, regardless of whether the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) approves it or not.
This comes after Rishi Sunak presented his "Windsor framework", an attempt to patch the holes in Boris Johnson's original post-Brexit protocol for Northern Ireland.
Even if the DUP and other sceptical Tory MPs agree to the plan, ratification is likely to take several months.
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if the plan would be implemented even if the DUP did not agree to it, Rishi Sunak replied that "the framework is what we have agreed with the European Union."
Boris Johnson's government has signalled its intention to go ahead with a new trading regime for Northern Ireland, which could be implemented with or without the approval of the DUP.
Rishi Sunak presented the new "Windsor framework" aimed at fixing issues in the original post-Brexit protocol for Northern Ireland.
While many Conservative MPs were initially positive about the proposal, it appears that there is still a long road ahead for ratification.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the plan was supported by the European Union, while a leading Conservative Brexiter predicted that the DUP would ultimately support it.