Northern Ireland Protocol: Rishi Sunak invokes shooting of PSNI detective as he calls for devolution and stability

He said it was important to provide “stability” following the attack in Omagh, which is suspected to be the work of the so-called New IRA.

“People in Northern Ireland need and deserve their government to be up and running. That is what democracy is about,” he said.

“Stability in Northern Ireland is really important and it (the shooting) is a reminder of that.”

The Prime Minister was visiting Northern Ireland to sell the deal secured with the European Union, and said he believed “hand on heart” that it addressed the concerns expressed about the current post-Brexit trading arrangements which triggered the collapse of powersharing in Stormont.

On a visit to Lisburn’s Coca-Cola factory, he said his deal would create “the world’s most exciting economic zone” with access to EU and UK markets.

“If we get this right, if we get this framework implemented, if we get the Executive back up and running here, Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position – unique position in the entire world, European continent – in having privileged access, not just to the UK home market, which is enormous, but also the European Union single market.

“Nobody else has that. No one. Only you guys: only here, and that is the prize.”

Critics online were swift to point out that the entire UK had full access to the EU’s single market before Brexit.

The Twitter account Best for Britain quipped: “Sunak in Belfast emphasises what ‘a hugely privileged position’ it is to have access to both EU and UK markets, and how it is definitely worth the relatively small trade-off of following some Brussels regulation.

"Why not extend this ‘fantastic deal’ to the whole country? Oh.”

Mr Sunak told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the role of EU law was for single market measures aimed at avoiding the need for a hard border with Ireland.

“In practical terms, something that is important to people in Northern Ireland is not having a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, I think that’s important to everybody in fact, but also it’s important for businesses to have access to the EU single market,” he said.

“As long as the people of Northern Ireland consent to that arrangement, then that’s why there is a small and limited role for EU law in Northern Ireland – what we are talking about is less than 3% of EU laws that apply in Northern Ireland and they apply very specifically for the purpose that I just mentioned.”

The Stormont brake means that “if there’s a new law that’s going to significantly impact people’s lives coming from the EU, they will be able to block it”.

Mr Sunak also said that border posts for checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea were mainly aimed at consignments destined for Ireland and the EU – the so-called “red lane”.

“The border posts are there very specifically for the red lane.

"Because... if goods are actually going to the Republic of Ireland, ie going into the EU, well, that’s not our country and it’s entirely reasonable, that we have checks for those types of goods."