Unionists agree to restore government in Northern Ireland

The DUP’s decision faces opposition from some hard-line unionists, who fiercely guard Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.

Transcript

00:00 In a late night breakthrough, Northern Ireland's main pro-British Unionist party has agreed

00:05 to end its two year boycott of a power sharing government with pro-Irish Republican Sinn

00:10 Fein.

00:11 DUP leader Geoffrey Donaldson has managed to convince his party leadership to accept

00:16 a British government deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements.

00:20 They had been concerned that while Northern Ireland would have access to the EU's single

00:24 market, the proposal would undermine the province's position within the UK.

00:29 The boycott had threatened the future of the landmark Good Friday Agreement peace accord,

00:34 which ended decades of sectarian violence.

00:37 [WHOOSH]