Northern Ireland

UK repeal of legal duty to protect all-island Irish economy will have ‘little effect’

Conor Murphy said economic links across the island of Ireland will accelerate regardless of the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ command paper

First Minister Michelle O'Neill arrives for a photocall with her ministerial team members Declan Kearney, left, and Conor Murphy, right

A UK government move to scrap a legal duty to protect an all-island economy will have little practical effect, Stormont’s Economy minister has said.

Conor Murphy said economic links across the island of Ireland had developed organically in recent years, and he predicted that growth would accelerate in the time ahead, regardless of the contents of the Government’s Safeguarding the Union command paper.

The paper pledges to repeal a section of the European Union (Withdrawal) ...