Bi-Lateral meeting between Taoiseach & UK Prime Minister
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Why is the Taoiseach meeting the UK Prime Minister in Manchester?
This morning Taoiseach Mihal Martin is meeting British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Manchester. The Taoiseach will be the first international leader to visit number ten North, Mr. Burnham's Northern Headquarters. The pair have met before, but this is their first meeting since Mr. Burnham became Prime Minister, and also since Donald Trump's comments last weekend when he stated he would love to see a united Ireland. Joining me now from Manchester is Ashley Maloney. Political reporter with the Irish Independent. Morning, Ashley. Good morning, David. What uh what's likely to be the focus of these discussions, Ashley?
Um so this is the first meeting, um, as you mentioned, between the Taoiseach Mihal Martin and Andy Burnham, although they have had calls over the phone. Um and as you mentioned, the Taoiseach is the first international leader to come here to number ten north, where I am right now, which is the northern headquarters of the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, trying to make a focus on the um his his kingdom, I suppose.
What are the main topics expected to be discussed between the Taoiseach and Andy Burnham?
You know, um his country outside of London because there's obviously been a lot of criticism that the leaders of the UK have been too focused on the capital. So essentially um it's the first meeting. There obviously there's a lot to talk about, particularly around uh Irish-British relations, um, I suppose as a uh as a headline uh topic, but as you go down through that, there is a lot to address. Uh particularly there's been a lot of talk in the last week. week after the comments of the US President Donald Trump around Irish unity. Now that's not particularly a topic that's on the agenda. We know that uh the British Prime Minister Andy Burnham when he was in Northern Ireland recently on one of his first visits there said that Irish unity was a uh conversation that was off the table there.
Um so that's not exactly what they'll be speaking about, but it will e come into it in some discussions around the Good Friday Agreement, the workings of the institutions in the north, like Stormont, getting that working properly, giving it a budget, um and general I suppose relations between um the two governments. uh going along, I suppose their uh British Irish councils where they meet regularly, they met back in March. Um so they'll be talking about that. And then also um, you know, international issues.
How does the recent US comment on Irish unity influence the agenda?
We know the energy crisis is affecting every country um around the world from the war in Iran. So that will certainly be an issue between the uh private tete tete um that the two leaders will have and then also with the meeting of wider officials. Now, Nihol Martin has signalled in recent weeks around this whole topic of Irish unity that he We would like to see, I suppose, more uh specific details or a more specific idea of how um the Northern Secretary uh would call a border poll. This is a a a provision in the Good Friday Agreement that any border poll would be called when the Northern Secretary appointed by the British Government deems that the conditions have been met and he's kind of suggested that he would like to that's that's deliberately vague in the Good Friday Agreement and he would like to see, I suppose, more specifics around that.
So that would certainly be something we, the media, will be asking him heavy questions on because that is, of course, the topic uh of interest at the moment, particularly with his coalition partner. Fina Gale releasing a blueprint for Irish Unity, uh Sinn Fein, as you know earlier this week. uh going to Cardiff and meeting Clyde Cumroo, the Welsh uh controlling party and Scottish National Party and signing a memorandum of understanding that they're all going to push for independence vote.
Yeah, um the teacher was in with us on Monday and he said he was keen on on pursuing um more clarity about legacy issues in Northern Ireland as well. There's also a European dimension, I suppose, Ashon, because we hold the presidency of the EU and there is a summit between the EU and the UK in November. And I think Andy Burnham is is keen to get on well with Europe, isn't he?
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why is the Taoiseach meeting the UK Prime Minister in Manchester?
0:01–1:00
2
What are the main topics expected to be discussed between the Taoiseach and Andy Burnham?
1:00–2:12
3
How does the recent US comment on Irish unity influence the agenda?
2:12–3:54
4
What role do EU relations and defence cooperation play in the talks?
3:54–5:02
5
What is the significance of the new ‘Number 10 North’ headquarters in Manchester?
5:02–6:39
6
What legacy and future plans are being considered for UK‑Ireland collaboration?
6:39–6:54