The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has met with five political parties in Northern Ireland in an attempt to revive the local parliament, a spokesman for Johnson’s office told the Press Association, PA, on Wednesday.
“The reason of this meeting is to discuss moving forward in the ongoing power-sharing talks and getting the Northern Irish democratic institutions back up and running as soon as possible, the spokesman said.
“Northern Ireland has been without a functioning regional assembly for two and a half years after the two largest parties in the power-sharing government.
“The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Irish republican Sinn Fein fell out over a controversial renewable heat scheme run by DUP leader Arlene Foster.
“But Brexit has loomed large over the region as Britain’s departure from the European Union taking Northern Ireland with it, could force the re-imposition of customs and security checks with the Republic of Ireland which will remain in the EU.
“The 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of violent conflict between British unionists and Irish republicans included a guarantee of no physical border on the island of Ireland.“
The spokesman of Johnson told PA that talks with the Northern Ireland parties also included Brexit, where the prime minister made it clear that the UK would be leaving the EU on Oct. 31, come what may.
“It restated his intention to do so with a deal.
“If Britain leaves without a deal, the so-called backstop kicks in, keeping Northern Ireland more closely aligned with the EU, thereby keeping its border open. Unionists and Johnson oppose the backstop and want it scrapped.“
dpa/NAN
