Prime Minister Andy Burnham has triggered a political row during his first official visit to Northern Ireland after declaring that a referendum on Irish unity is “off the table”.
Speaking to reporters in Belfast on Thursday, Burnham said his Government wanted to concentrate on immediate pressures including the cost of living, jobs and Northern Ireland's public finances rather than reopen the constitutional question.
The intervention drew an immediate backlash from Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald, who said no British prime minister had the right to remove the provision for a unity referendum contained in the Good Friday Agreement.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson, by contrast, welcomed Burnham's remarks, saying they had put to bed speculation about an imminent border poll.
Burnham says unity referendum is 'off the table'
Burnham made the comments during his first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming Prime Minister. Asked about a referendum on a united Ireland, he said he intended to take a collaborative approach but that some issues would be off the table, including a border poll.
Burnham pointed to the divisions created by the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums, arguing that political rifts created by such votes can take years to heal.
He said politicians should instead focus on the problems immediately facing people in Northern Ireland, including cost-of-living pressures and the need to resolve Stormont's budget difficulties.
Sinn Féin challenges Prime Minister
Burnham's position was challenged directly by Sinn Féin following talks with the Prime Minister.
McDonald said the Good Friday Agreement and its provision for a referendum on Irish unity had been central to what she described as a very direct exchange with Burnham.
She argued that the right of people in Northern Ireland to determine their constitutional future is embedded in the Good Friday Agreement and its implementing legislation and cannot simply be dismissed by a prime minister.
McDonald said Burnham accepted the legal position as a matter of fact, despite his political position that a referendum should not currently be pursued.
Burnham cannot simply abolish border poll mechanism
Burnham's declaration does not mean that the legal mechanism for an Irish unity referendum has been abolished or permanently blocked.
The Northern Ireland Act 1998, which implements key elements of the Good Friday Agreement, states that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom unless a majority votes otherwise in a poll.
The legislation also requires the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to call a border poll if it appears likely that a majority of voters would support Northern Ireland leaving the UK and joining a united Ireland.
Burnham's “off the table” comment is therefore best understood as a statement of his Government's current political position rather than a change to the statutory framework.
DUP welcomes Burnham intervention
DUP leader Gavin Robinson welcomed the intervention and said Burnham had put to bed what he regarded as speculation surrounding an imminent referendum.
The contrasting reactions underline the political sensitivity of any British prime minister taking a firm position on the timing of a border poll.
Unionists argue there is no evidence that the legal threshold for calling such a referendum has been met, while Sinn Féin continues to press for preparations for constitutional change.
First Northern Ireland visit as Prime Minister
Burnham's comments came during a wider visit to Belfast intended by Downing Street to emphasise economic cooperation and practical government.
The Prime Minister met First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly as well as representatives of Northern Ireland's five main political parties.
Downing Street said Burnham wanted to build a pragmatic relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive and focus on giving families more breathing space from cost-of-living pressures.
He also spent time meeting young people in Belfast and discussing jobs, bills and future opportunities.
Stormont funding also dominates talks
Alongside the constitutional dispute, Northern Ireland's finances formed a major part of Burnham's visit.
Stormont ministers have continued to argue that Northern Ireland needs additional funding from Westminster to address pressure on public services.
Burnham has promised a problem-solving rather than point-scoring approach and has invited Northern Ireland's leaders to participate in the National Economic Council in October alongside the leaders of Scotland and Wales.
Political position collides with constitutional framework
The row leaves Burnham attempting to draw a distinction between what his Government wants to prioritise politically and what UK law provides constitutionally.
He can oppose holding a border poll in present circumstances and argue that other issues should take precedence, but the statutory duty governing a referendum remains in force.
If the legal threshold were judged to have been reached, the Northern Ireland Secretary would be required to act in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act.
For now, Burnham's intervention has established a clear political position from the new Prime Minister — welcomed by the DUP but immediately challenged by Sinn Féin on his first official visit to Northern Ireland.