Burnham Rules Out Northern Ireland Border Poll on First Visit, Sparking Sinn Féin Rebuke

On his first official visit to Northern Ireland as Prime Minister on 27 August 2026, Andy Burnham told reporters in Belfast that a border poll on Irish unity was 'off the table,' saying: 'I will take a collaborative approach but some issues will be off the table, and that is one issue that will be off the table.' He pointed to the divisions left by the Brexit and Scottish independence referendums, arguing the government's focus should be on cost-of-living pressures and agreeing a Stormont budget rather than a fresh constitutional referendum. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald rejected the remarks, saying Burnham had no authority to override the Good Friday Agreement's provision guaranteeing the people of Northern Ireland the right to determine their constitutional future, calling it a right that 'cannot be cast aside' by a UK prime minister. The Democratic Unionist Party welcomed Burnham's comments, with leader Gavin Robinson saying the PM had settled speculation over holding such a referendum. The visit, accompanied by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant, coincided with a stop at a wedding reception in Cultra, Co Down.