On a visit to Belfast PM Rishi Sunak denies that the Tory legacy here is detaching Northern Ireland from the Union

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

00:05 it values the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but isn't the reality

00:09 that what this government has delivered is Northern Ireland's detachment from the union

00:14 through the Windsor Framework that you've championed? I mean, some of your key policies,

00:17 there are now huge question marks over their ability to be applied in Northern Ireland.

00:21 No, I don't agree with that characterisation. I care very deeply about the people of Northern

00:26 Ireland and when I got this job, Chris and I sat down and we wanted to do everything

00:31 we could to ensure the people in Northern Ireland had their devolved government up and

00:35 running, which hadn't been in place for years. You all know that better than me and the impact

00:39 it was having on people here and public services. So I made it a priority, quietly working behind

00:45 the scenes with Chris, not just to get the Windsor Framework agreed, but then also to

00:49 get the executive up and running and I'm really pleased and proud that we've been able to

00:53 achieve that and in the process ensure not only does Northern Ireland have the representation

00:57 it deserves, that it feels part properly of our United Kingdom as it should and that was

01:02 a priority for me, a priority for Chris and as I said earlier, as evidence of my willingness

01:06 to take bold action because in the times that we live in, that's what is required. You need

01:11 to be prepared to take bold action, you need to have a plan that you stick to even when

01:14 it's difficult and people are criticising you because that's how you deliver a secure

01:19 future. That's what we've done for the people of Northern Ireland and that's the choice

01:22 That's all I have.