BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May has been accused of "breath-taking arrogance" after her flying visit to Northern Ireland at the weekend.
Ms May made a surprise visit to the Balmoral Show near Lisburn, Co Antrim, on Saturday during the unannounced trip.
She was accompanied by the Secretary of State James Brokenshire and four Tory candidates in the general election.
During her visit she was pictured meeting with the DUP leader Arlene Foster who was also attending the final day of the major agriculture event.
Sinn Féin has said it was not told of the planned visit and it is not known if any of the other political parties - including the DUP - were made aware of Mrs May's plans.
During the brief visit - of which only a handful of broadcast media were notified - Mrs May said she was "personally engaged" in resolving the powersharing deadlock in Belfast.
After the general election, there will be several weeks until the end of the June for those parties to come together and see a resolution.
She said: "We have got to make sure we do resolve the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
"I'm very clear that we want to see no return to the borders of the past, no hard border but I'm clear that we need to see as seamless and frictionless a border as possible."
The DUP had a stall for the duration of the agriculture show, along with other political parties including Sinn Féin and the UUP.
The Prime Minister stopped and posed for selfies with children and chatted to surprised show-goers during the 25-minute visit.
As she walked past the parade ring, Mrs May bumped into DUP leader Arlene Foster and her son and stopped for a quick chat.
Sinn Féin told the Irish News it was not made aware of the visit but said they were not surprised Mrs May "teamed up" with Arlene Foster at the show, whose party supported the Leave campaign.
"It should come as no surprise.... given the DUP's recent cheerleading for the Tory Brexit agenda, their Tory cuts, their shared disregard for the views of the people here on Brexit and Tory support for the DUP’s opposition to equality for all," a spokesman said
Sinn Féin MLA and national spokesperson on Brexit, John O’Dowd described the visit from the Prime Minister as a box ticking exercise.
"The arrogance of Theresa May is astounding visiting the Balmoral Show, while her Tory cabinet is planning to impose Brexit on the north which will be disastrous for our farming and agri-food industries," he said
"Since taking office Theresa May has visited the north once, taken one media question and then departed. Now that Ms May has ticked a box and visited the north one more time for the election she will jet off home and continue to ignore the democratic wishes of the people here."
"This is a British Prime Minister whose Tory party received just 0.3 per cent of the vote in the last Assembly election in the north," he said.
"Her politics have been rejected both at the ballot box and in a referendum where the people of the north voted to remain within the EU.
"Sinn Fein will continue to make the case for designated special status for the north within the EU and stand against the Tory Brexit, cuts and disregard for the people of the north."
