McDonald urges Starmer to show intent for Irish unity

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has called on the British Government to "make clear its intention to trigger a referendum" on Irish unity.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Ms McDonald also urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "walk the final length of the Irish journey".

While in opposition, Mr Starmer said a referendum on Irish unification was "not even on the horizon", while Sinn Féin has called for a date for a vote to be set before the end of the decade, but has not specified when.

The Sinn Féin leader told the audience in Liverpool that the reunification of Ireland "presents the single greatest opportunity to unlock our potential and to deliver prosperity for all".

Ms McDonald said: "We're living in a time when history will be made by the people. That's why referendums on Irish unity must be held by the end of this decade to allow the people to have their say.

"The moment will come to name the date, but first, the British government must make clear its intention to trigger a referendum as per the Good Friday Agreement, and set out the threshold for the referendum as they see it - there can't be any more dodging.

The Sinn Féin leader was asked what she would say if given five minutes with Mr Starmer, to which she replied: "I would say, this is a question of honour. This is a question of keeping your word and of doing the right thing."

Ms McDonald continued "when the history books are written, I think he would wish them to record that it was a Labour prime minister who had the integrity and the vision to walk the final length of the Irish journey and to consign the ancient quarrel and the harm that was done by colonisation and partition to the dustbin of history."

Ms McDonald said successive British Governments have "absolutely refused" to outline the thresholds for an Irish unity referendum.

Since becoming the Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn has shared the UK Prime Minister's commitment to a "reset" in relations with Ireland.

Ms McDonald said the current climate called for "not merely a reset, but indeed a transformation" of British-Irish engagement.

The leader of the Opposition said her party would make reunification a "key priority" by establishing a reunification and one Ireland unit, appointing a minister and giving all MPs from Northern Ireland speaking rights in the Dáil.

Ms McDonald said that a United Ireland would need to involve communication from all communities.

"The new Ireland that we seek to build belongs every bit as much to the families of the Shankill as it does to the families of the Falls. Every bit as much to the families of Fermanagh as the families in Dublin and Cork and Galway."

"We have to listen to each other, engage with the facts and resist the urge to be driven by fear or misinformation, such as we witnessed during the Brexit debate, " Ms McDonald added.