Starmer meets NI leaders ahead of UK-Ireland summit

Sir Keir Starmer is meeting politicians in Northern Ireland ahead of the UK-Ireland summit later on Thursday.

The summit, which was set up to maintain and develop Anglo-Irish relations post-Brexit, is being held in Cork in the Republic of Ireland.

Before travelling to the Republic, Starmer will also visit a community centre in Northern Ireland.

He has vowed to crack down on companies in Northern Ireland which are "profiteering" from the fuel crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East.

Recognising the majority of households in Northern Ireland rely on heating oil, the prime minister said prices must be "fair transparent and justifiable and not inflated at the expense of working people".

Almost two-thirds of homes (62.5%) in Northern Ireland use oil for heating, the highest proportion among UK nations. Industry data suggests prices have more than doubled since the US attack on Iran.

Sir Keir arrived in Northern Ireland on Wednesday night and attended a British-Irish gathering at a Belfast hotel.

Addressing the invited guests in Belfast, he talked about the importance of resetting the relationship with Dublin.

"When I became prime minister, I was really determined to reset the relationship between the UK and Ireland," he said.

At the Cork summit on Thursday, Sir Keir and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin are to focus on greater cooperation across areas such as infrastructure, clean energy, skills and innovation.

The two premiers are due to take part in events along the theme of "Shared Prosperity, Shared Seas, Shared Ties", including a research-focused visit, a cultural reception and a discussion with young people.

Speaking ahead of the summit, the Taoiseach said he was "delighted" to welcome Sir Keir and UK ministers to his home county of Cork.

"At our inaugural UK-Ireland Summit in Liverpool last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I agreed a comprehensive programme of strategic co-operation which is now beginning to deliver for the people of these islands," he said.

"Today we will mark the progress on what has been achieved over the course of the past year and reaffirm our commitment to deepen and broaden further the co-operation, friendship and partnership between Ireland and the UK this year and out to 2030."