Prime Minister to visit Northern Ireland

The Prime Minister is to visit Northern Ireland in a bid to unite the United Kingdom on her direction for Brexit.

Theresa May is to meet and have lunch with farmers near Belfast on Thursday, one year before the UK leaves the European Union.

In a statement released ahead of her visit, she said, "I am visiting all four nations of the Union to hear from people across our country what Brexit means to them.

"I am determined that as we leave the EU, and in the years ahead, we will strengthen the bonds that unite us, because ours is the world’s most successful union."

She is also to visit Ayrshire in Scotland, Barry in Wales, as well as Newcastle and London in England.

Mrs May insisted that each of the devolved administrations will see "an increase in their decision-making powers" as a result of the return of responsibilities currently exercised by the EU.

Her Government remains "absolutely committed" to the devolution settlements, she said.

And she restated her rejection of EU proposals which would effectively create an administrative border down the Irish Sea by keeping Northern Ireland in the Customs Union.

"As the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I have an absolute responsibility to protect the integrity of the United Kingdom as a whole," she said.

"That means ensuring that no new barriers are created within our common domestic market and that the UK is able to meet its international obligations in the future.

"No Prime Minister could leave these things to chance, because they are absolutely crucial to our success as a country in the future."