‘Focus must be on the day-to-day concerns’

STORMONT leaders should focus on the ‘day-to-day’ concerns of people in the North rather than the prospect of a ballot on reunification, Britain’s prime minister has suggested.

Rishi Sunak said ‘constitutional change’ was not a priority after the North’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, said a border poll could be held in the next ten years.

Mr Sunak joined Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris in Belfast yesterday to mark the return of the Executive following two years of political stalemate.

The British PM said: ‘I had very constructive meetings this morning with the Executive, with political leaders across Stormont and it is a historic and important day for the country because Northern Ireland’s politicians are back in charge, making decisions on behalf of their people, which is exactly how it should be.

‘Now, our new deal gives them more funding and more powers than they have ever had, so they can deliver for families and businesses across Northern Ireland.

‘And that’s what everyone’s priority is now. It is not constitutional change, it is delivering on the day-to-day things that matter to people.’

Earlier yesterday, Mr HeatonHarris commented: ‘I would suggest that actually top of the in-tray for an incoming Executive has to be things like public sector pay; the health service, which needs massive transformation here; funding on education; and a whole host of other things that actually all people in Northern Ireland from both communities truly care about.’

On Sunday, Sinn Féin’s Ms O’Neill said that she believes ‘we are in a decade of opportunity and there are so many things that are changing’.