Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Belfast

Transcript

00:00 [Indistinct chatter]

00:03 [Indistinct chatter]

00:30 David Ponton. Prime Minister, probably no government has spoken more about how much

00:35 it values the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but isn't the reality

00:39 that what this government has delivered is Northern Ireland's detachment from the union

00:43 through the Windsor Framework that you've championed? I mean, some of your key policies,

00:47 there are now huge question marks over their ability to be applied in Northern Ireland.

00:51 No, I don't agree with that characterisation. I care very deeply about the people of Northern

00:56 Ireland, and when I got this job, Chris and I sat down and we wanted to do everything

01:00 we could to ensure the people in Northern Ireland had their devolved government up and

01:04 running, which hadn't been in place for years. You all know that better than me, and the

01:08 impact it was having on people here and public services. So I made it a priority, quietly

01:13 working behind the scenes with Chris, not just to get the Windsor Framework agreed,

01:17 but then also to get the executive up and running, and I'm really pleased and proud

01:22 that we've been able to achieve that, and in the process ensure not only does Northern

01:25 Ireland have the representation it deserves, that it feels part properly of our United

01:30 Kingdom as it should, and that was a priority for me, a priority for Chris, and as I said

01:34 earlier, as evidence of my willingness to take bold action, because in the times that

01:38 we live in, that's what is required. You need to be prepared to take bold action, you need

01:42 to have a plan that you stick to, even when it's difficult and people are criticising

01:46 you, because that's how you deliver a secure future. That's what we've done for the people

01:50 of Northern Ireland, and that's the choice at this election.