Trump Puts Irish Unification ‘On the Table,’ Northern Ireland Leader Says

BELFAST, Sept 14: Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Monday that US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks supporting Irish unification show that the issue is increasingly part of the political conversation.

“I think it reflects the fact that there is a growing conversation around constitutional change at home in Ireland,” O’Neill said in an interview with Sky News, referring to Trump’s comments over the weekend.

Trump said Sunday that bringing Ireland and Northern Ireland together would be “one of the naturals of all time,” after saying a day earlier that he would “love” to see a united Ireland.

O’Neill said the planned meeting of nationalist parties from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales also reflected what she described as a changing political landscape. Leaders of Sinn Féin, Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party are due to meet in Cardiff on Monday.

The comments come as debate over Ireland’s constitutional future continues. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, however, has ruled out holding a referendum on Irish unification, saying the issue is “off the table.”