Burnham slaps down nationalist demands
The Labour government under Andy Burnham is to focus on practical support for families struggling with the cost of living – not “constitutional changes like further referendums”.
That was the new Prime Minister’s message to the UK’s devolved leaders – the majority of whom are now nationalist – in his first full day in office.
It comes as Sir Chris Bryant takes charge at the Northern Ireland Office, after having been appointed as replacement for the widely-liked Hilary Benn, in an unexpected move by Mr Burnham.
The new Secretary of State has pledged to work for “a strong Northern Ireland in a strong United Kingdom” – but that has been greeted with scepticism by TUV MP Jim Allister who has blasted his record on the province’s place in the EU single market.
Industry group Manufacturing NI said Sir Chris was “responsible for the disastrous steel tariffs recently introduced” – with Mr Allister saying the steel tariff position “exposed an alarming disregard for Northern Ireland’s constitutional status”.
The Burnham government’s first major policy announcement was the removal of VAT on electricity bills in GB – a policy that won’t apply in NI because EU rates apply here under the Windsor Framework.
Stormont’s communities minister says Northern Ireland’s exemption from the scheme shows the “madness” of the region’s relationship with the EU. However, the executive will be given funding to implement an equivalent level of support.
Gordon Lyons said the Government has been “far too willing to do the EU’s work, and we haven’t seen what we need to see in terms of the repair of the damage done to that relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK”.
The PM’s opposition to constitutional changes has been warmly received by unionist political leaders. UUP boss Jon Burrows welcomed the PM prioritising “practical help over more referendums and constitutional wrangling”.
DUP deputy leader Michelle McIlveen said Mr Burnham is right to focus on practical measures, not constitutional distractions – arguing that a border poll is not what Northern Ireland needs.
However, Jim Allister warned that the prime minister can’t caution against constitutional upheaval “while still championing deeper devolution”.
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