Mary Lou McDonald: Planning for border poll can happen while restoring Stormont

The republican party became the largest in local government at last week’s council elections, following on from the 2022 assembly election where the party became the largest at Stormont

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald speaks to the media after local elections in Northern Ireland (Mark Marlow/PA)

Planning for a potential unity referendum in Northern Ireland can happen while working on the restoration of the Stormont executive, the leader of Sinn Féin has said.

The party’s president Mary Lou McDonald said that the “engagement and planning” for a border poll could be done alongside the return of the assembly.