What's happened
Rishi Sunak travels to Belfast to meet key political figures and discuss the future of Northern Ireland.
Why it matters
The restoration of power-sharing at Stormont is significant as it marks a breakthrough after two years of political deadlock and signals a potential shift in the future of Northern Ireland.
What the papers say
The Times reports that Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin expects a vote on Irish unity to take place within a decade and criticizes the lack of public services funding from the Tories in London. The Independent highlights the return of devolved government and the appointment of ministers to a powersharing executive, with the DUP agreeing to drop its Stormont blockade in exchange for government measures addressing post-Brexit trading arrangements.
How we got here
After two years of political collapse in Northern Ireland, devolved government is expected to return as ministers gather at Parliament Buildings for a sitting where ministers will be appointed to a powersharing executive.
More on these topics
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The Democratic Unionist Party is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland favouring British identity. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years.
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Michelle O'Neill is an Irish politician serving as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland since 2020. She has served as Vice President of Sinn Féin since 2018 and has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mid Ulster since 2007.
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Parliament Buildings, often referred to as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont Estate area of Belfast, is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for the region.
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Northern Ireland is variously described as a country, province or region which is part of the United Kingdom. Located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.
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Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest on the island of Ireland.
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Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.
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Emma Little-Pengelly is a Democratic Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland. She was the Member of Parliament for the Belfast South constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 2017 until 2019, when she lost her seat to Claire Ha