Keir Starmer set to visit Dublin and Belfast amid NI Protocol row
By Dominic McGrath, PA
Keir Starmer will meet with political leaders in Dublin on Thursday, with the ongoing row over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland expected to dominate discussions.
The UK Labour leader will arrive in Dublin on Wednesday evening for a dinner with the British-Irish Chamber, before meeting President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Thursday.
It will be his first visit to Ireland as the leader of the opposition in the UK parliament.
Mr Starmer, who will visit Belfast as part of the trip, will also meet with Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe.
The leader of the Labour Party Ivana Bacik will also hold a meeting with Mr Starmer in Dublin.
On Friday, Mr Starmer will be in Belfast to meet political leaders in Stormont, where he is expected to call for compromise and negotiation to end the political deadlock over the return of the powersharing Executive.
