Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called for a renewed partnership between the UK and Irish governments, urging the incoming British prime minister to engage substantively with the European Union on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Speaking at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, Martin said a stable and prosperous Britain is in everyone's interests.
Martin wished the UK well amid a time of political change and uncertainty, as Rishi Sunak prepares to succeed Liz Truss as prime minister. He stressed the importance of the two governments working together to support the gains of the Good Friday Agreement.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of inertia and inaction, and called on Downing Street to quickly demonstrate a willingness to restore the devolved government at Stormont. She said there can be no further delay in ending brinkmanship and bad faith.
The Northern Ireland Protocol, the post-Brexit trade arrangement, has been a source of tension since early 2021. Talks between the UK and EU have resumed but no imminent deal is expected. Northern Ireland Office Minister Steve Baker said the government would stick to its existing protocol policy regardless of the new prime minister.
The DUP withdrew from the Stormont executive in February, protesting that the protocol undermines Northern Ireland's place within the UK by creating a trade border in the Irish Sea. The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meets twice a year, with this event focusing on trade and the economic effect of Brexit.
