Editorial: The prime minister's address at Queen's University was an improvement on the scolding speeches that went before him

​There were some profound problems with Rishi Sunak’s speech in Belfast yesterday, at the end of an afternoon in which the DUP were relentlessly scolded. The whole structure of the afternoon at Queen’s University in Belfast, on the last day of the 25th Belfast Agreement celebrations, was troubling. Two American politicians including an ex president spoke, two EU leaders spoke, then the Taoiseach and UK prime minister were given joint billing as part of the ever present ‘joint authority’ implication of the equal billing of the ‘two governments’.

​And yet, after a smooth but atrocious speech from Bill Clinton and then a speech from Leo Varadkar which had hidden pressure on London, the UK prime minister’s speech offered some light relief.

It was disappointing that Mr Sunak had to put himself on the side of the voices that are ranged against unionists when he said: “And let me also say to those who would seek to reform the institutions right now: I understand your frustrations.”

No Conservative and Unionist prime minister so much as hinted at criticism of Sinn Fein, a party that wants the UK to break apart, collapsed Stormont for three years until it got a Irish language act, and yet here was Mr Sunak siding with all those who are critical of the DUP collapse, sharing their frustrations. Yet it is only fair to note that Mr Sunak no doubt felt pressure to show such empathy for the anti unionist factions before he went on to say that “history reminds us that nothing in Northern Ireland has ever been achieved by trying to get round one community or another”.

The PM also pointedly defended the security forces and made clear that he is not neutral on the Union. This was not a strong speech from the PM in defence of the UK. But it was a marked improvement on the remarks this week of his Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and others.