Prime Minister Andy Burnham will hold his first official meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Manchester on Friday. Martin is set to be the first international leader to visit Number 10 North, the government announced ahead of the talks.
The leaders are expected to focus on strengthening the UK-Ireland relationship, with discussions planned to cover trade, security, and cooperation with the European Union.
Burnham expressed his delight in hosting the Taoiseach, calling it a "historic and proud day for Manchester." He emphasized that Number 10 North aims to create opportunities for working people and highlighted the partnership with Ireland as central to improving lives in both countries. "There is so much we can achieve together: from our shared commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, to trade, to working with Europe and supporting Ukraine," Burnham stated. "We are the closest of friends, and I look forward to further strengthening that friendship."
Following their meeting, Burnham and Martin will visit a local Irish community center to engage with representatives from Greater Manchester's Irish community.
The meeting occurs days after remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump expressing support for a unified Ireland. Burnham had previously stated during a visit to Northern Ireland that a border poll was "off the table," a stance he later clarified to be in support of the Good Friday Agreement.
The agenda also includes discussions on reforming Stormont institutions and progress on replacing the Troubles legacy act.
In a statement, Martin indicated that the talks would cover the "UK-Ireland 2030 programme of strategic cooperation" and "a range of matters relating to Northern Ireland," specifically mentioning legacy issues and the Good Friday Agreement. He also noted that EU and international issues, including Ireland's current Presidency of the Council of the EU, the upcoming EU-UK Summit, and the situations in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East, would be addressed.
Earlier, the Taoiseach had called for "greater clarity" on the conditions that would trigger a border poll, suggesting the Northern Ireland secretary's discretion was unsatisfactory. Burnham, however, has previously expressed caution about border polls, citing the long healing process required after events like Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum.
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant affirmed that he and the Prime Minister fully support all aspects of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, including its provisions for a border poll.
The Good Friday Agreement and Border Polls
The Good Friday Agreement, or Belfast Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, aimed to end 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland. It established a power-sharing government and stipulated that Northern Ireland's status as part of the UK could only change through a referendum. The agreement mandates that the Secretary of State must call a border poll if it appears likely that a majority of Northern Ireland's population would vote for unification with Ireland. The criteria for judging such majority support are not explicitly detailed in the agreement, allowing the Secretary of State discretion, provided seven years have not passed since the last poll.