The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are “in a position” to restart the executive in Northern Ireland after a near two-year absence – if ministers keep to the “agreed timeline” over a fresh deal on post-Brexit trade, their leader has said.
The power-sharing agreement between the main parties at Stormont collapsed in 2022, with the unionist party refusing to return over its opposition to the government’s deal with the EU – which left a trade border down the Irish Sea and additional checks on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Sinn Fein also won the election for the first time, meaning the return of executive would see Northern Ireland’s first nationalist first minister installed – Michelle O’Neill – with the DUP taking the deputy first minister role.
The DUP and UK government have been at loggerheads over trade arrangements and the impact of the direct border with the EU on the island of Ireland.
But in the early hours of Tuesday morning, it was revealed an agreement had now been reached, paving the way for the assembly to get up and running again.
Leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that the deal offered “further legal change that will be of real benefit to businesses in Northern Ireland [and] ensures that Northern Ireland benefits in full from UK free trade deals”.
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He added: “These were key elements in our requirements in our negotiations from the government.”
The president of Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, told Sky News’ Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge that it was a day of “very great hope” and “some relief”, saying: “Of course there are some final matters to be concluded before the assembly is recalled, but it’s very positive here today in Belfast and right across Ireland.”
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Image: Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald (left) and the incoming first minister Michelle O’Neill (right). Pic: Sky News
Ms McDonald also pledged that her colleague, Ms O’Neill, held a “deeply sincere commitment to act as a first minister for all”.
She added: “We will look to find the common ground, the high ground… and so I would say to the unionists in particular to take heart from the fact that we now have the chance for change and a platform to advance everybody’s standard of living, everybody’s life experience.”
The full details of the deal have yet to be released, with Sir Jeffrey saying they were set to come tomorrow.
But he did reveal the so-called “green lane” for goods being sent across the Irish Sea would be replaced by the UK internal market system that “reflects the reality that the UK is part of the United Kingdom”.
The DUP leader continued: “Goods flowing within the UK will flow freely – that was our core, key objective, and I believe what we have secured is real change and everybody will be able to see it for themselves.”
So the government has produced a rabbit out of the hat, just as we teeter on the edge of a deal to restore Stormont.
Suddenly they’ve revealed the fruits of months of secret negotiation with the EU, to change the legal text governing the way trade operates in Northern Ireland.
After some speculation that the UK was prepared to rewrite the rules unilaterally, it’s emerged that the EU not only knew, but were prepared to throw the UK government a bone in order to assist Rishi Sunak getting the Northern Ireland Assembly up and running.
Hard-line unionists will no doubt say it does not deal with the fundamental, quite existential questions raised by the Windsor Framework likely to play out over the next 20 years.
Nevertheless, the EU has been prepared to extend the range of goods it is content to see going into Northern Ireland without checks.
The change means the EU has agreed to expand the “not at risk” category of stuff that can use the goods Green Lane, which doesn’t require checks.
Supporters are claiming this means Northern Ireland can properly take advantage of free trade agreements struck by post-Brexit Britain.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says that it means a cut to food tariffs to goods like New Zealand lamb and Australian beef. We shall see.
Critically, politically, it has allowed Jeffrey Donaldson to strike a note of vindication against critics who say the “deal” the DUP has agreed to is meaningless.
“This demonstrates that the naysayers are wrong. There will be legal changes,” he trumpeted on social media.
This is further than many expected, and takes us even closer to a restoration of Stormont that feels closer than it has ever been so far.
The deal also has sign off from the EU, with a document being published from a joint committee with the UK showing the bloc was happy for more goods to head to Northern Ireland without being checked.
“We believe this represents a significant change,” said Sir Jeffrey. But he did appear to issue a thinly veiled warning to UK ministers.
“On the basis that the government continues to deliver the strength of the agreed timeline that we reached with them, then we will be in a position to convene a meeting of the assembly and proceed with the restoration of the political institutions,” he said.
Sir Jeffrey also confirmed that along with the civil service, Northern Ireland parties from all sides had already been meeting to discuss the issues at hand, including an ongoing dispute over public sector pay.
Earlier, the UK government’s Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, welcomed the agreement, telling reporters: “I believe that all the conditions are now in place for the Assembly to return, and I look forward very much to the restoration of the institutions at Stormont as soon as possible.”
However, Ms McDonald said: “The north of Ireland has been underfunded for a very, very long time.
“Although the headline figure of ÂŁ3bn sounds like a lot, the reality is that it is still going to be a huge, huge challenge to fund this place correctly.”
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Meanwhile, in her interview with Sky News, the Sinn Fein president also said “the days of partition are numbered”.
Ms McDonald’s party wants to see Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland united as one country – unlike the unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK.
She told Sophy Ridge: “The reality is that so long as Ireland is partitioned, we will face very, very significant economic challenges and disadvantages here in the North and all along the border.”
Earlier this week, the prime minister confirmed his party was looking to make changes to its controversial slashing of winter fuel payments to pensioners at an upcoming “fiscal event”.
Little clarity was provided on when this would be – the budget in the autumn thought the most likely.
Image: Angela Rayner says she wants the changes announced soon. Pic: PA
Ms Rayner has now suggested the 11 June spending review in just over a fortnight is her preferred date.
She told Sky News: “I think that we’ve got the upcoming spending review, and I’m sure that the chancellor will set it out when we’ve got the opportunity – at the first opportunity Trevor she will set out what we’ll be able to do.”
Asked if changes might be announced at the review, Ms Rayner said: “I hope so, but I don’t know. But I hope so.
“I mean, the prime minister’s announced it, so logically to me that indicates that the prime minister wants to do something in this area.
“And if the prime minister wants to do that, I’m sure the chancellor is going to look at how we can achieve that.”
Some might suggest Ms Rayner’s stance was a bid to push Downing Street into an announcement faster than it previously wanted.
It would add to rumours the deputy prime minister is unhappy with the way Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves are running the government.
However, when asked by Trevor Phillips if she wanted to lead her party, Ms Rayner was unequivocal.
“No. I’m very happy and honoured to be deputy prime minister of this country,” she said.
“And I’ve got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on the milestones for the people in this country.”
She continued: “I have no desire to go for the leadership of the Labour Party.”
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Asked to say the word “never”, Ms Rayner repeated “never”.
Ms Rayner also confirmed a leak inquiry was under way after her proposals on tax and spend sent to the chancellor ended up published in The Daily Telegraph.
This weekend, it has become clear there is a price to pay for Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to row back on winter fuel payment cuts.
One MP said in a text message: “We all want to see more”, while former prime minister Gordon Brown told Sky News this week the two-child benefit cap was “pretty discriminatory” and could be scrapped.
Image: Nigel Farage is expected to call for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped
The cap, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children, is a symbolic sore for Labour that saw seven MPs suspended from the party last year.
Now it’s back to cause more trouble.
A Downing Street source suggests little has changed in the last week, and looking at the cap has always been part of the (now delayed) Child Poverty Strategy.
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‘You’ve got to be fair to pensioners’
But, beyond the whispers behind the scenes, one thing has overtly changed this weekend – growing pressure from Nigel Farage.
Mr Farage is parking his tanks on Labour’s lawn, trying to tap into working-class votes on uncomfortable territory for Mr Starmer.
How would they pay for it? A combination of closing asylum hotels, cutting aid, and scrapping net-zero targets, the party says.
Image: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch
Headline-grabbing move
The beauty of not being in power is not having to make all the sums add up right now, and it is a headline-grabbing announcement that will, at the very least, reignite the conversation about the two-child cap.
It’s also a reminder that Reform UK, who were beaten by Labour in 89 out of the 98 constituencies they came second in last year, have set their sights beyond the Conservatives.
As for the Tories, who introduced the measure in 2017, leader Kemi Badenoch is clear, saying: “If you can’t afford to have lots of children, then you shouldn’t do so”.
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1:26
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is hoping for an update on the winter fuel allowance
Blue water between Tories and Reform UK
So, there is blue water between the Conservatives and Reform, but it’s the prime minister and his party that Nigel Farage is targeting now, and Labour is unclear on where it stands.
With the spending review fast approaching, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be working out the actual cost, beyond the political one, of rowing back on winter fuel payment cuts.
But will the anger that the policy ignited among some Labour MPs end there? Or will it move to another uncomfortable subject?
As one MP puts it: “If there’s money for pensioners, why not children?”
Pakistan has allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity exclusively for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence centers.
The move is part of a broader digital transformation plan spearheaded by the Pakistan Crypto Council and backed by the Ministry of Finance, according to a May 25 report by local news outlet 24NewsHD TV Channel.
In the first phase, the government plans to channel excess power into AI infrastructure and crypto mining operations. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the decision is expected to attract billions in foreign investment while generating high-tech employment across the country.
The initiativeâs second phase will introduce access to renewable energy for mining operations, aiming to balance growth with environmental responsibility.
Pakistan unveils tax incentives to attract investors
Per the report, interest from international Bitcoin (BTC) miners and AI firms has already picked up. Officials confirmed that multiple foreign delegations have visited Pakistan in recent months to explore potential partnerships.
To further incentivize investment, the Ministry of Finance announced a package of tax incentives for AI centers and duty exemptions for Bitcoin miners.
Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of Pakistanâs Crypto Council, reportedly welcomed the development, calling it a âturning pointâ for the countryâs digital economy.
Saqib claimed that with clear regulations and a transparent framework, Pakistan could emerge as a significant player in the global crypto and AI sectors.
The meeting included lawmakers, the Bank of Pakistanâs governor, the chairman of Pakistanâs Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), and the federal information technology secretary.
The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will serve as a regulatory body to oversee licensing and regulating exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and decentralized finance applications.
Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysisâ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in ninth, mainly due to strong retail adoption and transactions at centralized services.
Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysisâ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in 9th. Source:Â Chainalysis
Data from Statista also shows Pakistanâs crypto market is âexperiencing rapid growth,â estimating the number of crypto users to amount to over 27 million by 2025, out of a population of 247 million.