Ireland’s premier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister, vowing to work closely with him to strengthen bilateral ties. In a statement, Martin described Burnham as “a great champion of deeper links between Ireland and Britain.”
Commitment to Strengthened Partnership
Martin said: “I look forward to working with him to further strengthen the partnership and friendship between our two countries. Our relationship has deepened further in recent years with annual UK-Ireland summits, and our respective roles as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. We will also work to facilitate a stronger relationship between the UK and European Union.”
He added: “I will work with Prime Minister Burnham to ensure that close co-operation between Ireland and the UK delivers real tangible benefits for people, communities and businesses right across these islands.”
Previous Meetings and Shared Goals
The Taoiseach noted that he knows Burnham from “previous meetings” when Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester. “He came to Ireland on a number of occasions and also, of course, when we met at the Anglo-Irish Summit in Liverpool the year before last,” Martin said. “We will work closely with him. We are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, and we look forward to continuing the very good relationship we had with Keir Starmer and this government in terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the joint framework declaration on legacy, and that we can progress the legislation. Also then in the context of the European Union, that we can work to facilitate a stronger and warmer relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union – and I think we’ve made good progress on that front.”
Sinn Féin’s Call for a New Chapter
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Burnham’s appointment “offers an opportunity to begin a new chapter in relations between Britain and Ireland.” She expressed hope that he would show “courage and imagination” as she insisted that referendums on Irish unification are approaching.
McDonald stated: “His time in office will be important as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and advancing towards referendums on Irish unity. I hope his government approaches this work with the courage and imagination shown by previous Labour governments during the peace process.”
She added that Sinn Féin intends to “work constructively” with the Labour Government to address the “considerable challenges and opportunities before us.” McDonald stressed that the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is unfinished and that provisions for referendums must be “honoured in full.”
Judging by Actions
McDonald said: “Sinn Féin will judge Prime Minister Burnham by his actions. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, we will assess his government’s commitment to investing in public services, providing the Executive with the resources and powers it needs to deliver, and full implementation of the agreement. We will make it clear that the British Government’s approach to legacy at this time is not acceptable and will be resisted by victims and survivors with the full support of Sinn Féin, and it must change.”
When he became Labour leader last week, Burnham put greater devolution at the centre of his political agenda and stressed that this would apply to “all places” – including Northern Ireland.
