Editorial: An important new hint from London that the UK might abandon neutrality on Northern Ireland

The prime minister is in Northern Ireland to give his blessing to Stormont’s return.

The News Letter has reported on 57 prime minister and 11 monarchs since we first began publishing in 1737, when Robert Walpole was in Downing Street, and this Rishi Sunak visit is one of the more notable ones. The assembly is back after a two-year suspension.

For all the joyous scenes at the assembly on Saturday, there is still an Irish Sea border. There is a first minister who not merely justifies past IRA terror, but lauds it – and when unionists point this out, which mostly out of politeness they don’t, it is they who are typically criticised, rather than Ms O’Neill.

There are also serious questions to be asked about the DUP enabling Sinn Fein to have the first minister positions, the finance ministry, the economy department and infrastructure too. All of these things we will look at this week with a critical eye, even if barely anyone else is doing so. But there is one sound reason to be upbeat this morning. A document by an influential Westminster think-tank (click here to read it) calls on London to expand its naval and air presence in NI and to rediscover its “strategic” interest in the province.

You might wonder why this is so prominent on our front page at this moment of Stormont’s return. The reason is it is a highly significant illustration of what might be changing perspectives in the Tory government. Ireland has been relentlessly pro nationalist, weak UK has often been neutral on the Union. This seems to be changing.

The almost apologetic language, starting in the 1990s with Britain having no selfish or strategic interest in NI, to appease republicans is going. This is for now only a report by Policy Exchange, but that organisation is listened to in Whitehall. It also has the backing of two ex UK defence secretaries and an ex Nato head. It is late in the day, but a most welcome new way of thinking.