Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ‘confident’ of negotiated solution to NI Protocol talks

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.

The prime minister was speaking after his first official meeting with Irish Premier 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 deadlock.

“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.”

Mr Martin said that he and the British prime minister have agreed there is a window of opportunity to resolve the Northern Ireland Protocol issues.

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.

“I think all of us agreed to remain focused on this issue with the European Union to have a negotiated resolution of the issues.

“It’s very clear to me that the prime minister desires a negotiated resolution.”

He added: “That in turn would facilitate stability in terms of the political situation in Northern Ireland, the restoration of the executive and the assembly.

“From the government to government perspective we want to see meat on the bone. 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.”

Due to the political situation at Stormont, Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris was the only person representing NI at the meeting, which continues today.

Speaking to LBC Radio's Nick Ferrari he said that the meeting between the PM and the taoiseach “is part of hopefully a very positive reset in the relationship that we have with Ireland".

He added: "And indeed, have a good reset of relationships between James Cleverly and a guy called Maroš Šefčovič, who is the European Commission's negotiator for this matter."

Asked whether we will still be talking about the Northern Ireland Protocol in six months, Mr Heaton-Harris said: "God, I hope not. I mean, it's a very important thing. It really genuinely is.

"I am a very good Eurosceptic and everything, but there are also many other important things to be talking about."