Northern Ireland Terrorism Threat Level Raised; Biden Set To Visit 11-12 Apr

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton Harris has confirmed that on advice from MI5, the gov't has "increased the threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism from ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ (an attack is likely) to ‘SEVERE’ (an attack is highly likely)." The increase in the threat level comes amid unionist opposition to the 'Windsor framework', the upcoming 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, and the planned visit by US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the occasion.

• Biden is set to be in Belfast on 11-12 April, before travelling to the Republic of Ireland for a three-day trip. The president is not due to attend the official ceremony marking the anniversary, which is taking place after his visit.
• The reaching of an agreement with the EU regarding the Northern Ireland protocol has been seen as key by the UK gov't in both avoiding a trade war with the EU but also maintaining good relations with politicians in the US, where links with Ireland are commonplace among both Democrats and Republicans.
• However, unionist politicians and groups remain opposed to the 'Windsor framework', which they say risks entrenching divsions between NI and GB, risking UK unity. Loyalist paramilitary groups, while much reduced in size from the pre-GFA era, remain a threat to political and social stability in Northern Ireland.