By Tony O’Reilly-
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed confidence that “with goodwill and pragmatism” a breakthrough can happen in negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He was speaking after talks with Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin following a meeting of the British-Irish Council. Talks between the EU and the Uk in relation to resolving the Irish boarder have been stale mate and come to nothing, despite both sides appreciating the importance of addressing it.
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The British government has long been accused of breaching the Good Friday agreement and being problematic in terms of seeking a workable solution. The present prime minister sounded optimistic about finding a solution.
Mr Sunak said “goodwill and pragmatism” would be needed but that a way through should be found.
He added that he wanted a resolution to be found to allow the power sharing institutions at Stormont to be restored.t
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The Prime Minister was speaking after his first official meeting with Taoiseach Micheal Martin at the British-Irish Council summit in Blackpool.
Mr Sunak, who is the first prime minister to attend the summit in 15 years, described his meeting with Mr Martin as “very positive”.
The summit comes after Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced plans to extend a deadline for calling a Stormont election and cut the pay of Assembly members, amid continuing political deadlock in the region.
“We need to find a practical resolution to some of the challenges that families and businesses are facing on the ground,” Mr Sunak said.
“We need to protect Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.
“And that will require everyone to enter into these talks with a spirit of goodwill and pragmatism.
“I’m confident if we can do that, working together, we can find a way through.”
Mr Sunak described the protocol as “threatening” Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom, adding he wanted to “resolve” that.
“I’m deeply committed to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement,” he said.
“I want to see the institutions back up and running in Northern Ireland because that’s what the people in Northern Ireland need and deserve.
“I discussed this with the Taoiseach, we had a very positive meeting.
“And what I want to do is find a negotiated solution preferably, and I’m pleased with the progress that we’re making in these early days in this job, and my focus is to try and find a resolution here, get the institutions back up and running.
“That’s how we’re going to deliver for the people in Northern Ireland.”
Negotiations between the UK and EU aimed at securing changes to the protocol are continuing, with both sides talking up the prospect of a deal.
The DUP has made clear it will not countenance a return to powersharing until the protocol’s economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are scrapped.
The Irish and British governments need “meat on the bone” to resolve the Northern Ireland Protocol issues, the Irish premier has said.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the mood music is improving but it needed to be harnessed to translate into a resolution.
Mr Martin made the remarks after a meeting with the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“From the government-to-government perspective we want to see meat on the bone,” Mr Martin said.
“The mood music is improving, we now need to translate that into a resolution, a negotiated resolution between the United Kingdom and the European Union.”
Mr Martin described Mr Sunak’s decision to attend the summit as “significant”, adding that his attendance had been “well received”.
“He took the earliest opportunity to engage with me and we appreciate that,” the Taoiseach said.
“I think it also gives strength to the British-Irish Council which is a key part of the Good Friday Agreement.”
Speaking following a meeting between the two leaders at the British-Irish Council summit, Mr Martin said: “There is now a very good window of opportunity here to get this issue resolved.
Mr Sunak said his focus was to find a “negotiated solution” with the EU.
He was “pleased with the progress that we’re making” on the protocol issue.
He also said he was “determined to deliver” the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont, which has not functioned since February.
That is because the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is refusing to take its place in the devolved government in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The protocol is a part of the UK-EU Brexit deal that keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules.
Mr Martin said that he and Mr Sunak had agreed there was a “window of opportunity” to resolve issues regarding the protocol.
He said it was clear that “the prime minister desires a negotiated resolution… that works”.Blackpool’s tourism season may be long over but politicians from across the UK and Ireland have descended upon the seaside resort.
The UK government’s decision to extend the period for forming an executive at Stormont has afforded Downing Street and the EU extra time to find a solutio
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