Northern Ireland voters split on need for Brexit checks, poll reveals

High political stakes in NI protocol shown in research released hours before unveiling of new UK-EU deal

Voters in Northern Ireland are evenly split over the need for Brexit checks on goods coming in from Great Britain, a new survey has shown just hours before a new deal between the EU and the UK is revealed.

The EU will on Wednesday say it is retreating from the threat of a trade war and confirm a package" of arrangements to take the heat out of the bitter dispute over the sales of British sausages, secondhand cars and potted plants in Northern Ireland.