Northern Ireland news - live: Reunification vote ‘within decade,’ suggests Sinn Fein

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics in Westminster, Stormont and beyond.

Sinn Fein has hailed a “new era” for Northern Ireland as the Irish nationalist party swept history aside and emerged the largest political force at Stormont assembly for the first time.

Michelle O’Neill, the party’s leader north of the border, challenged the Democratic Unionist Party to drop its obsession with Brexit checks and “work together” to restore the collapsed power-sharing executive.

Adam Forrest has more:

Boris Johnson is planning to announce the new laws which will “deliver on the promise of Brexit” in the Queen’s Speech, he told the Sunday Express.

“I call them the super seven – and they will benefit families and businesses across the land by changing old EU rules that don’t work for the UK,” he said.

Read more here:

One of the “Brexit Bills” is about trying to revive struggling town centres.

It will include plan to rid high streets of “derelict shopfronts” and restore neighbourhood pride, with councils given extra powers to force landlords to rent out empty shops.

Other measures will include the ability to make the pavement cafes which sprang up during the Covid-19 pandemic a permanent part of the town centre landscape.

Here is what Gary Neville has to say:

Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, is doing the media rounds this morning. He kicks them off talking about Northern Ireland on Sky News.

He told Sky News stability was being “imperiled” by problems with the Northern Ireland protocol.

The deputy prime minister was challenged over the fact this post-Brexit agreement was his party’s making. “This Northern Ireland protocol was what you imposed,” interviewer Sophy Ridge said.

See here:

Dominic Raab admits problems with post-Brexit trade agreement in Northern Ireland.

“Fundamentally, that Northern Ireland protocol is not working for communities right across the piece in Northern Ireland, and you hear that from the businesses and from communities across the political spectrum. So it doe sneed to be fixed,” he tells Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

Asked if the UK would push through changes itself, he said: “We have been clear that option has not been taken off the table.” But he adds: “We’d prefer to get it resolved in negotiation.”

On the topic of the Northern Ireland protocol, UK business chiefs fear a “horrific” economic impact if the prime minister provokes a trade war with the EU over the post-Brexit agreement.

Exclusive story by Adam Forrest here:

Dominic Raab played down the prospect of a border poll on Irish reunification following Sinn Fein’s Stormont success.

“If you look at the results in Northern Ireland, 58 per cent fully of people voted either for parties who support the union or for parties who do not support constitutional change and that is the message from the people of Northern Ireland,” he told Sky News.

PA

Dominic Raab said Northern Ireland Protocol checks need to be scrapped to resolve power-sharing at Stormont following Sinn Fein’s election success.

Adam Forrest reports:

Dominic Raab said the local election results had been “challenging” but a “mixed bag” for the Conservatives.

He denied the Queen’s Speech would be a “reset” for Boris Johnson’s administration but told Sky News: “What we’re going to be focusing on this week is what our plans are to drive up the economy, protect the cost of living.

PA