A Letter from Ireland
a Chara,
British Prime Ministers show a particularly ill-informed arrogance toward Ireland. It is not new. In 1981, as the Hunger Strike ended and war raged in the streets, Margaret Thatcher claimed that the North was as British as her constituency of Finchley.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham spoke at the Alliance Party Conference and likened Belfast to any British northern industrial town. Last week, he returned to Belfast as Prime Minister and declared that talk of Irish Unity referendums was “off the table” and that talk of unity was divisive!
Sinn Féin leaders said the statement breached the Good Friday Agreement, as did political representatives across Ireland, the Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland, Representative Richard Neal, and Representative Brendan Boyle.
Within hours, the clarifications began; the British Prime Minister supported the Agreement’s provisions and said a unity referendum was not on his agenda “today”. It was very much on the agenda of Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, who led a party delegation including First Minister Michelle O’Neill and John Finucane to meet Andy Burnham.
The vast majority of people in the North and South endorsed the Good Friday Agreement, which enshrines in International law the right of the Irish People to national self-determination via referendums. That right is not in the gift of any British Prime Minister to take “off the table”.
The Agreement is explicit, “recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given…”
The Agreement provides for the governments to call such referendums at any time and that a referendum in the North must be called if constitutional change is likely. No criteria must be met before a referendum can be called ie” without external impediment”, but there is an (opaque) threshold beyond which one can no longer be refused.
Both governments continue to hide behind the nonsense that a threshold must be met before holding referendums, placing retaining the status quo at all costs over a commitment to democracy and the right to self-determination.
Prime Minister Burnham is an English unionist, viewing the North of Ireland as the same as Scotland and Wales, despite the relevant governments being led by pro-independence parties. The future constitutional position of Scotland and Wales rests with a predominantly English Government in Westminster. In Ireland, the right to self-determination is a matter of International Law and in the hands of the people.
It should not be a surprise or a shock to find out a British Prime Minister is a unionist. That is a political reality, and one we must recognise, challenge, and change. The reaction to his comments from across Ireland and the US moved their public position.
We, all who support the Good Friday Agreement and the people’s right to self-determination, must act to secure unity referendums. That means political parties in Ireland, civic society and supporters in the US and Canada calling out both governments for their continued refusal to honour democracy and let the people have their say.
Andy Burnham is not the first to come to Ireland believing he can set the parameters of our future; seven British Prime Ministers have visited with that goal over the last ten years. Hopefully he will be the last.
Have a great weekend,
