The breakthrough deal on Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements heralds a reset in the often thorny relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union — and could be the first step to repairing some of the damage Brexit has done to the UK economy.
“If this comes to an end, we expect the UK’s healthy fundamentals — well-capitalized banks, cash-flush households and firms, and well-regulated markets — to reassert themselves.” The UK needs all the help it can get. It’s the only major economy expected to shrink this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, and it has yet to regain its pre-pandemic size.