Andy Burnham says his priority is “to listen and take a collaborative approach” in Northern Ireland

During his first official visit to Northern Ireland, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced reporters’ questions in Belfast about whether he would trigger a vote on Irish unification. He answered that his priority was to engage constructively with local parties, adding that he considered some topics non-negotiable, including that one. Nationalist politicians, among them Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, criticized the remark, saying no prime minister could unilaterally discard the Good Friday Agreement’s provision for such a referendum. Later, responding to SNP MP Chris Law in the House of Commons, Burnham said his comment had been misread and that his aim was workable devolved government at Stormont. He vowed full adherence to the Good Friday Agreement, noting it sets out when a border poll may arise, and said Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant would support that process.