Rishi Sunak set to meet Irish PM amid Stormont stalemate

Prime minister Rishi Sunak is to meet the Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin later ahead of the latest meeting of the British-Irish Council.

The event is taking place in Blackpool on Thursday and Friday.

Mr Sunak is the first prime minister to attend the summit since Gordon Brown in 2007.

He is expected to tell the council that he is “determined to deliver” the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont.

The British-Irish Council is made up of representatives from the UK and Irish governments, the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the governments of the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.

It was created two decades ago by the Good Friday Agreement.

Its stated aim is to “promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relations among the peoples of these islands”.

This will be the 38th summit and the first time a Conservative prime minister has attended.

However the Stormont stalemate means there are no ministers in place from Northern Ireland to take part.

The absence of an executive means Northern Ireland will be represented by head of the civil service, Jayne Brady.

Ahead of the summit, prime minister Rishi Sunak will hold separate meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and is also expected to meet with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford.

He is expected to call for the governments to work together in “shared interests”.

He will say: “Let’s deliver for all our people across these great islands – and build a future defined not by division, but by unity and hope.”

The prime minister will reiterate his commitment to restoring the Northern Ireland Executive, and is expected to say he is “determined to deliver” to restore power-sharing.

Political summits often call for photo opportunities – this one is no different.

Amid recent warm exchanges aimed at improving Anglo-Irish relations, we’ll witness a handshake between a new-ish PM still finding his feet in office, and a taoiseach about to leave office.

That’s because in just over a month’s time, the coalition government arrangement in the Republic of Ireland means Micheál Martin will be replaced in the top job by Leo Varadkar.

So while today is significant in that it’s Rishi Sunak’s first face-to-face meeting with the leader of the Irish government, the impending personnel change means another potential reset in relations.

That said the key issues the two governments face will remain the same – solve the protocol, solve the Stormont impasse.

Northern Ireland will be discussed during the summit, but the deadlock and lack of sitting Stormont ministers mean local politicians won’t be there to make their case directly to Rishi Sunak.

Instead, Jayne Brady the head of the civil service – who is waiting for word about what the government will do regarding a budget for Stormont – will be the only senior representative from Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is also expected to attend the two-day summit.

On Wednesday, he announced he is extending the deadline for an executive to be formed at Stormont, and cutting the wages of MLAs.

He said this would buy “time and space” for negotiations between the UK and EU on the protocol.

He had also insisted he was “not overruled” by Number 10 from calling an election.

It is expected that the taoiseach’s meeting with the prime minister on Thursday will cover the issue of progress in the Protocol negotiations and the latest developments around the Stormont impasse.

There has been no Stormont government since February as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has refused to return to power-sharing.

The party has protested against the Northern Ireland Protocol, a part of the UK-EU Brexit deal which keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules.

Mr Martin is also due to take part in meetings with community, political and business leaders in Manchester during his visit to England.

In advance of the British-Irish Council summit he will travel first to Manchester and meet with the Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham, and Manchester Greater Authority Mayor Andy Burnham