Sir Keir Starmer set to visit Dublin and Belfast amid NI Protocol row

Sir Keir Starmer will meet with Irish political leaders in Dublin on Thursday, with the ongoing row over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland expected to dominate discussions.

The 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 Micheal Martin on Thursday.

It will be his first visit to Ireland as Labour leader.

Sir Keir, who will visit Belfast as part of the trip, will also meet with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

The leader of the Irish Labour Party Ivana Bacik will also hold a meeting with Sir Keir in the Irish capital.

On Friday, the Labour leader 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.

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