British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted on Monday that the leaders of the newly formed Northern Ireland Executive do not deem a constitutional change in the region's status their priority but "day-to-day governing."
"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," Sunak told reporters during a visit to Belfast.
The formation of the Executive came after 22 months without leadership as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refused to form an alliance with Sinn Fein due to their disagreements over the Northern Ireland Protocol from the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The provisional deal was finally reached on January 30, 2024.
