Facing a storm of criticism over his handling of Northern Ireland’s constitutional question, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has now vowed to “stick 100% to the Good Friday Agreement” after saying a referendum on a united Ireland was “off the table”.
The row began during Mr Burnham’s first official visit to Northern Ireland, when reporters in Belfast asked whether he would be “the man at number 10 to press the button for a border poll”. Mr Burnham replied that he had come “to listen and take a collaborative approach”.
“Some issues will be off the table, and that is one issue that will be off the table,” he added at the time, insisting he “wanted to focus on bringing people together”.
Those remarks prompted an angry reaction from nationalist politicians. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said no prime minister has the right to “high-handedly” remove the Good Friday Agreement’s provision for a unity referendum.
Pressed on the comments in the House of Commons today, Mr Burnham said his trip’s central aim was “to get functional government in Stormont”.
SNP MP for Dundee Central Chris Law challenged the Prime Minister, telling him he “has no mandate to defy the constitutional wishes of the people of Northern Ireland, the people of Scotland or the people of Wales”.
“Any written constitution or devolution agenda must include a pathway for each of those nations to choose their own future,” he added.
“I think (Mr Law) has misunderstood what I actually said,” Mr Burnham replied.
He told MPs he had been responding to a media question before meeting Northern Ireland’s parties, and that he had been asked about a proposal being raised at those talks concerning a border poll.
“And my answer was that the purpose of the visit was to get functional government in Stormont because, in my view, that would most serve the people of Northern Ireland right now – and I wasn’t there to distract onto other issues.
“I’m very aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement. I will stick to it 100% as Prime Minister.”
Mr Burnham added that the Good Friday Agreement was “quite clear on the circumstances” in which the question of a border poll arises.
“But our common challenge right now is functional government in Stormont and I believe everybody should work together to achieve that,” the Prime Minister continued.
He said he had asked Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant “to support that process”.
Read more: United Ireland referendum ‘off the table’ – Burnham
Burnham’s border poll remarks not a mistake – Bryant
Starmer to step down
Former British prime minister Keir Starmer is to step down as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, a decision that will trigger a by-election in the London constituency.
Speaking to the Camden New Journal, Mr Starmer said it was the “right time” to leave Parliament and shift his attention to “international affairs”.
He told the paper: “It has been a huge honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country and to have taken over from Frank Dobson, who was such a great constituency MP and a member of the last Labour government.
Keir Starmer left 10 Downing Street in July, having announced his resignation the previous month
“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world.
“I will also continue, as I have done for a long time now with others, work on combating violence against women and girls; that is an issue that matters to me hugely.
“It’s work I started before I became an MP and it’s work I’m keen to continue after I’m an MP. So international affairs on the one hand, and continuing my work on violence against women and girls on the other.”
