Editorial: If Rishi Sunak wants to right things, then a good place to start is by defending the UK on legacy

​​Rishi Sunak is enthusing about the Belfast Agreement, as you would expect on its 25th anniversary. The prime minister's comments, ahead of Joe Biden's visit tomorrow, include this remark: "We commemorate those who are no longer with us and the many who lost their lives by trying to prevent violence and protect the innocent. And we give thanks to them as we reflect on the new generations that have grown up ... in a world in which peace and prosperity has prevailed."

It is not clear to whom Mr Sunak is referring. He could be paying justified tribute to church figures, to teachers, politicians or to community and peace activists. He must be referring to the security forces, although does not say so explicitly. Any such reference to those who served the state to prevent terror is a welcome start, but it is only a start. Northern Ireland has been removed from the internal market under the protocol, and remains outside it even after the Windsor Framework. The most charitable thing that can be said about such an outcome is that it does grave damage to the agreement that we are celebrating today.

In the coming weeks it will be interesting to see how the government develops its Northern Ireland policy. Will it have the wit to begin to show its commitment to the UK, to develop policies that try to compensate for the internal barrier that successive Tory leaders have introduced in stages, and above all to take stands on issues that might annoy "our partners in the Irish government" as Mr Sunak describes Dublin politicians who have acted like anything but partners since 2016?

If the PM wants to make amends a good place to start would be legacy, and, after the 1998 celebrations are done, immediately contradicting unending Irish criticisms of the UK on legacy, when Ireland itself has so much to answer for harbouring those who killed the state forces Mr Sunak seemed to be praising.