Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald says ‘time to build momentum for Irish unity’

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has said there is an obligation on the British and Irish governments to “deepen the conversation” about Irish unity and hold referendums by the end of this decade.

Making a keynote address at a Labour party fringe event in Liverpool, she said it is time to “build the momentum for the achievement of Irish unity in our time”.

In her ‘Time for Change: Implementing Good Friday and Building a Shared Future’ address, Ms McDonald called for the British and Irish governments to “acknowledge that change is in motion”.

Speaking at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool on Sunday night where Labour is holding its annual conference, Ms McDonald told delegates that “change (is) underway in Ireland” after Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party in the Westminster elections.

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“At a time of such change, it is both timely and necessary to step up the conversation about the future of Ireland, about how we confidently manage constitutional change, and build the momentum for the achievement of Irish unity in our time,” she said.

“This is an important moment in advancing this journey. Ireland’s future will be determined by choices made today, by decisions of this generation.

“The future will be defined by how we rise to the challenges and how we seize the opportunities.

“We must demonstrate the determination and the ambition to bend the arc of history towards reunification, ending partition.

“A new and united Ireland.”

The Sinn Féin president also said a “transformation of British-Irish relations” must happen.

“And, crucially, it means having a mature, confident and pragmatic approach to managing constitutional change between Dublin and London,” she said.

“As part of this there is an obligation on the British and Irish governments to deepen the conversation, to acknowledge that change is in motion, to accept that working together to accommodate that change is the way forward.”

Ms McDonald added that “a mature conversation on constitutional change” is needed.

“Part of this new chapter must be the realisation that constitutional change in Ireland is coming,” she said.

“We need a mature and respectful conversation about constitutional change. It’s a conversation that should be approached with optimism, ambition and a real sense of opportunity.

“We are living in a time when history will be made by the people.

“That is why referendums on Irish unity should be held by the end of this decade to allow the people to have their say.

“The moment will come to name the date but first the British government must make clear its intention to trigger referendum as per the Good Friday Agreement and set out the threshold for the referendum as they see it.

“No more dodging. Clear honest conversations.”

She also said if Sinn Féin was “given the chance to lead the next government” in the Republic, it would “make the reunification of Ireland and its people a key priority”.

She outlined a number of steps the party would take including giving MPs from Northern Ireland speaking rights in the Oireachtas and planning the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly on constitutional future.

“And we will commence planning and actively work towards the holding of referendums on Irish unity by the end of this decade,” she added.