The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has endorsed a deal with the UK government to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland, ending a two-year political impasse. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson announced the party executive's approval after a five-hour meeting, paving the way for the revival of the Stormont assembly and executive.
The DUP collapsed Stormont in February 2022 in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements that it argued undermined Northern Ireland's position in the UK. The deal, yet to be published, will remove checks on goods moving within the UK and end Northern Ireland automatically following future EU laws, according to Donaldson.
The breakthrough allows Sinn Féin, now the largest party, to nominate its inaugural first minister, Michelle O'Neill, a historic first. A DUP member will serve as deputy first minister, a role with equal power but less prestige. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald expressed optimism that Stormont could return before the 8 February legislative deadline.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris welcomed the news, stating that all conditions are in place for the assembly to return. The restoration of Stormont is a central plank of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and is required to unlock a £3.3bn financial package from London to address the region's fiscal crisis.
Donaldson's leadership may face challenges from hardliners within the DUP who view the deal as a betrayal. The Traditional Unionist Voice party and loyalist Jamie Bryson have denounced the agreement, with protests outside the meeting venue.
