What would a new Labour government mean for NI?
Northern Ireland’s future appears much more certain under Sir Keir Starmer than it would have been under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, given what the Labour leader and his senior team have said so far.
Many unionists have traditionally preferred a Tory government to Labour, believing they are more sympathetic to the pro-Union position.
However, the legacy of the last Conservative government has been an economic and legal division of the United Kingdom under the Windsor Framework – the consequence of which has been bitter unionist infighting.
There will be no radical departure from Tory policy on that front under Labour – the party has already pledged to uphold the deal.
The Labour manifesto outlined its commitment “to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and protecting the UK internal market”.
It has also committed to honouring the DUP’s Safeguarding the Union deal.
The symptoms of the UK’s division – the physical checks on the Irish Sea border – could be eased somewhat by Sir Keir’s plan to reach an SPS deal with the EU and achieve a closer trading relationship overall.
Labour under Sir Keir Starmer has also been clear that it has no appetite for a border poll – a referendum on Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.
Asked in 2023 about the prospect of a poll if he became Prime Minister, he said “I don't think we're anywhere near that kind of question”.
“It's absolutely hypothetical. It's not even on the horizon”, he told the BBC.
Hilary Benn, likely to be the next Secretary of State for the province, has said that there is “no evidence at all” that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote to leave the United Kingdom.
Nationalist parties have demanded ‘clearer’ criteria on when a vote could be called. Under the Belfast Agreement it is a decision for the Secretary of State if he or she feels that there would be a majority in favour.
Asked if he would ‘clarify’ the criteria for calling a vote, Mr Benn said: “No. Because there is a criterion already. It is written in the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement… it says a border poll shall be called by the Secretary of State when he or she is of the view that in the event a poll took place a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote for a united Ireland”.
He added that “there is no evidence at all that there would be a majority” to leave the Union.
There would be a major departure from Tory policy on how murders during the Troubles murders are handled under a Labour administration.
The party says it will scrap the Legacy Act – which shut down all historical inquests and stopped new civil cases from being lodged in court.
One of the most controversial elements – conditional immunity to suspects – was already disapplied by the courts because of rights laws retained in NI under the Protocol.
Labour has also pledged to continue discussions with the Executive about a new funding arrangement for NI.