Windsor Framework has received a 'cautious welcome' in Northern Ireland

All right, let's get the view now of Michelle O'Neill, because this time last week all the talk was of the PM's deal with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol. This seemed to get a decent enough reaction from most parts, but of course the big question is what do the DUP do, the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland? They say they won't rejoin power sharing if they're not happy. Well, the largest party at Stormont is Shinfeng, and its leader there would have been First Minister. That's Michelle O'Neill. She joins us live now. Thank you very much for being on the programme this morning. Has Rishi Sineq negotiated a good deal for Northern Ireland? Well, I think we've all had the best part of a week now to reflect on the deal, and I think it's fair to say that the general assessment has been cautious welcome.

I think in the first instance, people welcome the fact that a deal has actually been achieved. The bull sides have signed up to something that this is a departure from the previous approach of the British Government to take unilateral action. So I think it's fair to say that in all of my engagements throughout the course of the last week, particularly with the business community, that they feel this is a good deal and something in which they can move forward on, something that they think that now leads to the restoration of the executive, which is where we all should be in the aftermath of last May's assembly election. And I think that's where we need to be now to maximise the huge economic potential that we now have as a result of having access to both the EU and the British market. It's interesting to say that you think that overall it's a deal that should be welcomed, particularly by those in the business community who feel positive towards it. The DEP is still considering it. Chris Heaton Harris says he's optimistic, but of course they do still have concerns about whether or not Northern Ireland is being treated in exactly the same way as the rest of the United Kingdom, particularly when it comes to EU laws.

Can you understand why the Unionists may still have concerns? Okay, I think at the end of the day we all have concerns. Initially, a way back, whenever Brexit came about, we voted to reject Brexit. We wanted to stay within the European Union. We sought to find protections and mitigations against the hardest impact of it that came in the form of the protocol. And then we've had this whole period of uncertainty and stability, unilateral action by the British government. And quite frankly, we've been treated as collateral damage by successive British governments and successive Tory leaders. So I think the fact that we now find yourselves in this position today, where there's been a large body of text and agreement has been reached, the negotiation is complete.

It's now done. So I think where we all need to be focused on is yes, we have to work through the detail and yes, we do have some concerns, but we work our way through that. But we equally can do that in tandem with having a restored executive. And I believe that's where we all should be because right now we've had no executive since last May's election. It's not good enough for people who are dealing with a cost of living crisis or people who are struggling to get seen in the health service because our health services crisis. So I think we can do more than just one thing at a time. I think that all parties should be back around the executive table and actually restoring the executive immediately.

You can't go on in an endless period of scrutiny of the text. Yes, I will talk about it, but do it in the executive. I want to talk to you about the restoring of the executive a bit later, but you stay there about working through the details. I guess what the DUP and some unionists would say is, look, this isn't just details for them. This is the whole belief that they have in being a unionist that Northern Ireland should be treated by exactly the same way as the rest of the United Kingdom. The same laws should apply. It should be exactly the same as whether you're in Glasgow or Newcastle or London.

So it's not just details for them, is it? Unfortunately, I mean, I think there's no consistency there because at many times over the past, particularly when it comes to rights issues, the DUP have been happy to be on a different side to what is happening in Britain. However, actually, I can board everybody's concerns. I think that's legitimate. People are entitled to express their concerns. But where we need to be right now and what is needed from the DUP right now is leadership because they now, they deliberately took a tactic. They decided to walk away from the executive in order to influence the negotiation, but the negotiation is now complete. So there's no reason for them to stay outside of the executive.

They should be back around that executive table, taken on the matters of the day. And then, yes, let us work through all of the detail with this in the deal because, as I said, I equally have some concerns, particularly around this issue of a storm and break and what that might look like and how it can be used because I certainly don't want any deal to create, you know, replace a problem with a problem. But these are things we can do whilst also being in the executive. So I think that's where the wider public here, where the local community here, the people in the ground are saying, well, a deal is now done, so get back into the executive. And that's where I am ready to be because Sophie, we're about to embark on a period where we will celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement. That is something that's an enormous achievement, something that we should all be very proud of. And something that, again, because we now have this deal, because we have access to both markets, because we have huge economic potential, we now need to be bringing all that international attention to our place because of the celebration of the Good Friday Agreement.

We could have a presidential visit from the United States. We could have this to become a real economic catalyst that will actually grow our economy, create jobs, better jobs. This would be an opportunity if this opportunity was missed, that we saw, I just think so, so detrimental to what we could achieve in this period by working together. You're talking there about the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Would you say that the agreement and the peace in Northern Ireland is in a strong place or in a fragile place now? Absolutely in a strong place. I mean, we have come leaps and bounds in the last 25 years. I am very proud of what our society has achieved.

I am very proud. But collectively we all have achieved because when you think back to 1998 and where we are today in 2023, it's completely transformed for the better. That's something that we should cherish and hold on to, which is why whenever Brexit came about, we said that the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit weren't compatible, that you couldn't square that circle. But we are where we are today. And the one thing that the business community will be very strong on in these coming months, when we have this huge opportunity with the new US envoy being appointed to focus on the economy with our Good Friday Agreement anniversary, we need to be in that executive because we need to be doing delivering good public services for people whilst also availing of the huge opportunity. I found myself this week actually strangely agreeing with the British Prime Minister because whenever Rishi Sunic talked about the unique position of the single market and the British market having access to both markets, that is a huge opportunity for us. Something that I'm quite sure is an envy of many people who live in Britain.

You talked earlier to Chris Heaton-Harris about Scotland and Wales and potential, that they would also want to see that same thing. But the British government give that away. But we now have this unique selling point and I want to maximise that. And I want the Good Friday Agreement anniversary to that on top of that opportunity to be a huge catalyst for investment here. And that should not be missed. The DUP can't go on in this vein endlessly. Yes, everybody wants to do their due diligence, but then get around the table and make politics work with the rest of us.

Do you think the DUP are serious about wanting to enter power sharing? Well, that's a question you're going to have to put to them. We obviously had a very historic election last May. It was the very first time a nationalist was returned as First Minister and I am in the position of First Minister designate. The DUP have failed to honour that election to this point, but I still hope that they will get to that point because power sharing is how politics works in the north. We have a special and unique circumstance because of the Good Friday Agreement and there isn't any other alternative. In fact, probably the alternative to power sharing would be some arrangement between the British and Irish government. So I think where the public want us to be is in the executive because otherwise we're sitting in public services and our public sector workers and our economy is all being held around some by policies that are taken in London by the Tories who quite frankly have trained us as collateral damage the whole way through the past Brexit debate.

Kate Harris in the programme earlier said that look, he hopes that what will happen is the DUP will back the deal and that they will go back into power sharing, but he did say that if that doesn't happen, he is prepared to order another election. Do you support him in that? Well, firstly, I want to be in the executive. That is my priority. That's where I'm going to continue to work to get to that point. I think that's what the public want and expect of their political leaders. But you know, the democratic rules are that if the election isn't respected, then you do go to another election. So I mean, I hope you don't get to that point, but if we do, then we stand ready to fight such an election.

OK, thank you very much for being on the programme this morning. Really interesting to talk, Michelle O'Neill there.

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