Northern Ireland government reconvenes after two year DUP boycott

Northern Ireland's government has reconvened after a two year boycott by the DUP after they collapsed a power sharing agreement. Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's deputy leader is set to become the first nationalist first minister in history.

On Wednesday, the UK government published a deal that paved the way for power sharing to return to Northern Ireland. It came after the DUP ended its boycott of Stormont after agreeing to a deal on post-Brexit trade rules.

In today's sitting, the first order of business will be to elect a new speaker, then the parties are entitled to jointly lead the executive - the body that makes decisions and policy in Northern Ireland. They will then make their nominations.

For he first time, Sinn Féin will nominate a first minister because it won the most seats in the assembly election in May 2022. It's expected this will be Michelle O'Neill. The DUP will nominate a deputy first minister, as the largest unionist party. It's thought this could be Emma Little-Pengelly.

Although the first and deputy first ministers are joint offices and both hold equal power, Michelle O'Neill becoming the first-ever republican first minister of Northern Ireland will mark a symbolic moment.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie says "barring any real dramas" the assembly will be back up and running after almost two years. Beattie says the people of Northern Ireland "have suffered greatly" in the absence of a power-sharing executive and says it is a shame that people have been without a devolved government here.

He says by having Stormont restored it will help with making "Northern Ireland work for all of its people Today is about looking forward," he says.