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LAST UPDATE | 8 Jul 2024
KEIR STARMER HAS said he is committed to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement when considering the possibility of a referendum on Irish unity.
His remarks came as Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald repeated her prediction that there would be a border poll by 2030, adding the issue of Irish reunification has “has never been more alive”.
The new UK prime minister met with First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly this morning at Stormont.
Starmer pledged to “hit the ground running” once he became PM, and vowed to visit the four Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in his first few days in Number 10 Downing Street.
He said he was seeking an “immediate reset” of the relationship between the Westminster Government and devolved nations as he announced his UK tour.
Sinn Féin emerged from last week’s UK General Election with the hattrick of becoming the Northern Ireland party with the largest representation at Westminster, in addition to already being the largest party in the Stormont Assembly and at local government.
Starmer arrived in the North last night having spent the day in Scotland where he met with Scottish First Minister and SNP leader John McSwinney.
Starmer is due to conclude his quick tour of the UK with a visit to Wales later today.
The new UK PM began his first full week in office with an early morning visit to Stormont, ahead of a trip to Washington tomorrow for a Nato summit.
O’Neill and Little-Pengelly greeted Starmer and new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn before they held a meeting inside.
After half an hour with Stormont’s leaders, the new Prime Minister then moved on to Parliament Buildings, where he was greeted at the foot of the landmark steps by Assembly Speaker and DUP MLA Edwin Poots.
Starmer also hald talks with representatives from the main political parties.
McDonald said she used her meeting to urge Starmer not to “bury his head in the sand” on the question of Irish unity.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement sets out that the current Northern Ireland Secretary can call a border poll when he or she believes a majority of people in the region support a change to the constitutional status.
Starmer has previously stated that the issue of a united Ireland is not on his horizon and at the weekend the new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he believed the prospect of a vote on Irish unity is “off into the distance”.
Our Sinn Féin delegation held a productive meeting with the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) July 8, 2024
There are opportunities ahead for us to usher in a change in British-Irish relations to better the lives of all our people and communities.
We made a strong case for fair… pic.twitter.com/LZa1gnR9rw
Asked about the potential of a border poll when he spoke to the media, Starmer said: “This is provided for by the Good Friday Agreement, the framework is set out and I am absolutely committed to the Good Friday Agreement.
“Today is a recommitment to that and to the approach and the role of the UK Government in that as the honest broker.
“But to reaffirm the importance of the principles of the Good Friday Agreement is part and parcel of why I am here today.”
McDonald said last week’s UK General Election result reflected again that “all is changed here and changing”.
She said: “We have reiterated our view to the Prime Minister that it is foolhardy to bury your head in the sand on this question.
“We have reminded him that the provision for referendums is at the very heart of the Good Friday Agreement.
“Yes, we need to see progress on this, yes we need if people talk about conditions for a referendum, let’s have clarity on what is meant by that.”
Asked if she was still aiming for a unity referendum to be held by 2030, the Sinn Féin president said: “Yes, yes it is.”
However, DUP leader Gavin Robinson laughed when the 2030 date was put to him.
He said: “We have heard plenty like that before and we’re still waiting.”
Robinson added: “Starmer is a unionist and somebody who has indicated a border poll is not on the horizon.
“Anybody who studies the outcome of the election on Thursday will see that the combined unionist vote still outstrips the combined nationalist vote.
“There is no mood for constitutional change, but more than that, there is no mood for engaging in this neverending, repetitive psychodrama when it is not where the people are.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris will meet with Starmer in Downing Street on 17 July.
Meanwhile, new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn was in Belfast and while he insisted that Casement Park would be re-built “one way or another”, he acknowledged it may not be completed in time for Euro 2028.
Benn said Casement Park was “probably the most urgent issue” on his desk and added that the project is “very important for him”.
However, he said cost is an issue and added that he will get current estimated costs today.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
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The issue was the response before the storm.
There is no shame in going to the EU for assistance before the event, not running around like headless chickens after.
Billy Dooley was the best they could roll out on tv last night to defend the response.
Shameful
Perhaps they should also discuss a national plan to put power lines underground in areas where it is still possible.
@Tony Doran: Hard to know how much that could end up costing in the long run Tony. The last time an underground cable was discovered during a project it cost an extra €250,000…
@Tony Doran: There are 150,000 kilometres of overhead in this country,on a par with other European countries…..do you suggest putting 150,000 more cables underground?….Countries the world over that have way worse storms and more frequently still use overheads…..the cost would be astronomical……but this nonsense suggestion is wheeled out every time.
too late. PR stunt.
ask also yourself why it’s the same scenario every time and why so many trees were on the road and cutting electricity where they could have been maintained and cut before it happened. no retributions will be made. loosers.
I tend to keep about 20 grand in an account for emergencies, I wasn’t affected by the storm so i’ll spend it on holidays again this year.
@brian o’leary: Are you not going to list your 7 holidays like you normally do? Everyone loves a bragger/blagger as you know Brian. Especially those who can’t afford holidays. They live vicariously through your waffles
@Harry Paisley: You haven’t a washer anyway we know that, mammy is bringing you to butlins again, she loves the rides
@Freda Peeple: with the two ski trips this year it’ll only be 6 holidays I’m afraid, nothing like Zermatt to eat into the budget, 40 euro for a pizza for christ sake!
@brian o’leary: stop taking up space here!!!!
@Helena Camella , no I’ll continue to take advantage of the cheap entertainment while saving for my next trip, scuba diving in Thailand in a few months.
A proper tree management system is needed urgently. Councils throughout the country should be responsible for this. Trees on private property should also have a height limit. I know tree huggers won’t like this but tough!!!
Lol! gonna have a chat about the weather… Dilldy iiie
Live in towns, you’ll be sorted sooner.
@brian o’leary: ya have more of a chance of surviving in the country side than the built up areas if something worse happens like a major sunstorm that overloads and destroys all electrical and electronic stuff. We can get water, grow food and heat and cook with wood or turf what could you do?, go crying to the government for food and water and hold your hand along with all the other city slickers.
@brendan C5: but it’s you lot that are off the grid now,not us..cry harder,we can’t hear you country boy.
@brendan C5: I’d probably just move down to my cottage in wexford, its on a few arces of woodland near the sea, grow a few veg, catch a few fish, plenty of firewood.
Trees should be banned. Wind should be banned!
have your say