Andy Burnham pledges to ‘stick 100%' to Good Friday Agreement

Andy Burnham: 'I’m very aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement.' Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA

British prime minister Andy Burnham has pledged to “stick 100% to the Good Friday Agreement”.

It comes after he received criticism last week when, during a visit to Belfast, he told media that a referendum on a united Ireland was “off the table”.

Asked by the media whether he would be “the man at No 10 to press the button for a border poll”, Mr Burnham said he was there “to listen and take a collaborative approach”.

But he added: “Some issues will be off the table, and that is one issue that will be off the table.” 

Pressed further, he said he “wanted to focus on bringing people together”.

The remarks drew an angry response from nationalist politicians, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald stating that no prime minister has the right to “high-handedly” remove the provision for a unity referendum from the Good Friday Agreement.

Asked about the comments in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Burnham said the purpose of his visit was “to get functional government in Stormont”.

SNP MP for Dundee Central Chris Law put to Mr Burnham that he “has no mandate to defy the constitutional wishes of the people of Northern Ireland, the people of Scotland, or the people of Wales”.

“Any written constitution or devolution agenda must include a pathway for each of those nations to choose their own future,” he added.

Responding, Mr Burnham told the Commons: “I think (Mr Law) has misunderstood what I actually said.

“I answered a media question on a visit to Northern Ireland before meeting the various parties and the question was that a proposal was being put to the meeting about a border poll.

“And my answer was that the purpose of the visit was to get functional government in Stormont because, in my view, that would most serve the people of Northern Ireland right now — and I wasn’t there to distract onto other issues.

“I’m very aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement. I will stick to it 100% as prime minister.” 

Mr Burnham added that the Good Friday Agreement was “quite clear on the circumstances” when the issue of a border poll arises.

“But our common challenge right now is functional government in Stormont and I believe everybody should work together to achieve that,” he said.

Mr Burnham added that he had asked Northern Ireland secretary Chris Bryant “to support that process”.