Burnham 'not correct' about border poll, Hanna says
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was "not correct" to say that a border poll on Irish unity is "off-the-table", the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party has said.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant has defended Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he stated that a border poll on a united Ireland was off the table during his first visit to Northern Ireland. Burnham, speaking about the situation now, emphasized the need to focus on pressing issues such as cost-of-living pressures and budget agreement.
Bryant clarified that Burnham was speaking about the specific question posed at the time and reiterated the commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, including the provisions for a border poll. The remarks sparked anger among nationalist politicians, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald asserting that no prime minister has the authority to override the agreement's provision for a unity referendum.
The SDLP leader Claire Hanna defended Burnham's position, stating that it is not within the prime minister's authority to remove the possibility of a border poll from the table and that their focus is on constitutional change through broader democratic processes. Experts, including Jon Tonge, a professor of British and Irish politics, argued that Burnham's comments violate the legal obligations outlined in the Good Friday Agreement.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
