Leo has played a blinder. He has made a big concession in allowing the North alone decide whether there is a hard border on the island but he has got away with it!
My guess is the DUP secretly want Boris to win. Gets Brexit out of the way for a while and yet they can claim they did their best. The Unionist press in the North are really playing up that the Unionist community have been shafted - the DUP could not have supported this electorally. I see David Trimble is giving the deal a glowing endorsement - trying to wrongfoot the DUP maybe, won't work. The DUP have achieved their main aim, they have cemented themselves as the rock solid choice of Unionists in the North.
Wolfie it is not about having the same VAT rates. Countries in the EU are free to chose their VAT rates. It is about the process of claiming rebates. Claiming rebates of VAT takes place seemlessly within the same VAT system - between systems it's a pain in the butt. NI folk will be in the EU VAT system not the UK one - a further splash of green paint on their bright orange clothes.