Meeting of Martin and Sunak could be the first step toward improved Irish-British relations

Blackpool, like the relationship between Dublin and London, has seen better days. Hopes are high that both can be returned to former glories

British prime minister Rishi Sunak meets Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the British-Irish Council summit in Blackpool. Picture: Cameron Smith/PA

Blackpool in England's north is home to eight of the ten most deprived neighbourhoods in England, and is undergoing a multi-billion pound regeneration attempt.

In that spirit, it is a fitting place for a British Irish Council meeting not just themed around sustainability and regeneration, but which also saw an attempt to regenerate Anglo-Irish relations, as Rishi Sunak became the first British Prime Minister since Gordon Brown to attend a session.