One of the biggest impediments to progress on reunification is the tension between party politics
The SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole with former taoiseach Leo Varadkar during the conference The Future of These Islands: Preparing for Change.
By Tom Collins
June 30, 2026 at 6:00am BST
IN one room my wife was watching a documentary on the American War of Independence, while in another I was listening to Christy Moore singing his version of ‘Only Our Rivers Run Free’.
There must have been something in the ether – it was a night for contemplating self-determination.
Sensitised to the struggle for freedom, all I needed was a glass of whiskey and I’d be crying. There’s nothing as self-indulgent as a maudlin Saturday night.
But the whiskey stayed in its bottle as I needed to stay sober. I had to pick up my daughter later that evening, as she was returning broken but unbowed from three weeks in America with her football-mad Scottish boyfriend.
Like the Irish, the Scots are conditioned to having their hopes dashed on fields of dreams.
As readers will know, Moore has a way of loading songs with emotion.
The hyper-poetic opening of Michael McConnell’s lament softens you up.
But the line that strikes home is in the remarkable observation of Ireland’s political and cultural predicament. He sings of: “A land that has never known freedom, only her rivers run free.”
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, I’ve been writing about the cause of Irish unity for decades, but it was the word ‘never’ that hit home.
We’ve allowed ourselves to be conditioned to believe that Irish sovereignty became a reality with our own War of Independence, and the establishment of the Irish Republic. But that is a faux reality.
The juxtaposition of TV documentary and folk song was striking. Two hundred and fifty years ago this week, the American colonies achieved their freedom; yet Britain’s broken empire still retains its grip on its nearest neighbour.
Ireland has never been free. Never. That’s a powerful word.
The consequences are clear to see. They are primarily economic – too many children in poverty, too many young people let down by educational underachievement, too many people denied proper healthcare, too many old people left lonely and isolated because the social care system is broken.
For much of the 20th century, Westminster failed to live up to its responsibilities for this place, turning a blind eye to gross abuses of human rights, allowing sectarianism to flourish – even at the heart of government – and forcing generations to emigrate in search of work which was denied to them back home.
My mother was among them, as were her father, two sisters and countless cousins.
For unionists, the uncomfortable truth is that while their political leaders were responsible in large part for the decline and fall of Northern Ireland, unionist voters were among those who suffered.
The collapse of manufacturing exposed appalling levels of educational underachievement in unionist areas, while the blind eye turned to loyalist paramilitaries by the RUC left whole communities vulnerable to the predations of gangsters.
Reunification – note, not unification – offers real benefits for all traditions here; not least by replacing a government in London which is essentially the equivalent of a 19th century absentee landlord with an Irish government focused on bettering the lives of everyone within this island.
Nobody, not even the most die-hard unionist, can pretend that the current dispensation is working in the interests of people here.
If anything, the evidence suggests that the psychodrama of English politics is having a negative impact on our ability to survive in an increasingly fractured world.
One of the biggest impediments to progress on reunification is the tension between party politics – the fighting for position between individual parties – and the cause of reunification.
Last week’s conference on The Future of These Islands was an encouraging sign that pro-reunification parties recognise that the imperative to build a new Ireland transcends party politics.
Putting country before party is easier said than done, particularly for politicians conditioned to look no further than the next election.
But ‘country before party’ is the only approach that will secure the outcome they all crave: the ability to effect real change that will better the lives of those they are elected to serve.
In that context, there is an obligation on the two governments to begin the urgent work needed to prepare the way for a border poll (an inevitability) which will allow the Irish people to make an informed choice about the future shape of a reunited Ireland.
An Ireland at peace with its neighbour, an Ireland which is an integral part of the European Union, and an Ireland which takes its place as a truly sovereign nation among the nations of the world.
In short, an Ireland where more than just the rivers run free
As family and friends sadly lay the remains of Adrian Flannelly to rest in his native Ireland, Glucksman Ireland House at New York University sends it deepest condolence and salutes the man who was the Voice of Ireland and Irish America for over 50 years. As the host of Irish Radio’s ‘Adrian Flannelly Show,” Adrian championed the cause of Irish America and Ireland to a wide audience of listeners and fans. His recipe for success was his sincerity and kindness, broadcasting a mix of current news and sports, Irish music, Irish culture, and his inimitable interviews with leaders in politics, business, and the arts.
Adrian had a disarming style of interviewing guests including New York Governors and Mayors and Irish political leaders which often resulted in the most original and revealing of interviews.
Adrian played a central role in securing visas for Irish people to work in America. As Irish Central reported, he “was a major force on behalf of applicants during the Donnelly and Morrison visa programs, even filling up a truck with thousands of applications from Irish immigrants and driving to Washington, D.C., with his daughter Linda to personally deliver them to the government lottery.”
Adrian will be sadly missed by his wife, Aine Sheridan, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, and many lifelong listeners. May he rest in peace.
Nell McCafferty and Bernadette Devlin at a protest in Derry, 1973 – two women not to be messed with!
Nell McCafferty (1944–2024) was a trailblazing Irish journalist, author, and civil rights campaigner known as the “fierce, fearless, and fiery” voice of Irish feminism. Born in the Bogside area of Derry, she became a towering figure in Irish public life, challenging the social and legal strictures of 20th-century Ireland.
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey (born 23 April 1947) is an Irish civil rights leader, socialist activist, and former politician who gained international prominence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. At the age of 21, she was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Westminster at that time.
SNP claims ‘nothing of substance for Scotland’ from likely PM Andy Burnham.
Andy Burnham, the likely next prime minister of the UK, offered ‘nothing of substance for Scotland’ in his first major speech since announcing running to the job, SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said.
Katrine Bussey
29 Jun 2026 2:22 PM
Andy Burnham, the likely next prime minister, offered “nothing of substance for Scotland” as he set out his vision to transform Britain, the SNP has insisted.
While the new Makerfield MP – the frontrunner to replace Sir Keir Starmer – promised there would be “new opportunities to extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland”, his speech failed to include details of what these changes could be.
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan claimed afterwards that the former Greater Manchester mayor was “making the same empty promises” to Scotland “while keeping all of Westminster’s most damaging policies – Brexit, austerity cuts and Tory spending rules”.
Mr Doogan said: “The SNP has been calling for meaningful devolution for years but there is nothing of substance for Scotland in these proposals – and nothing that will fundamentally improve people’s lives.”
His comments came after a speech where Mr Burnham pledged to set up “Number 10 North” – an outpost of 10 Downing Street based in Manchester to drive his plans to rewire the British state.
In what was his first major speech since Sir Keir Starmer announced he would be leaving Downing Street, Mr Burnham promised: “The days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over, for good.”
Adding that people in Dundee and Bangor “feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster”, he said his new “Number 10 north will be the nerve centre of a rewired Britain” and would be “the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK”.
But Mr Doogan accused the Makerfield MP of setting out “top-down, England-centric plans without even involving the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the conversation”.
Speaking about Mr Burnham, the SNP MP added: “He seems to think Manchester is the north of the UK, when it’s barely the north of England.”
The SNP Westminster leader insisted: “If Andy Burnham was serious about devolution then he should start by devolving the energy powers the Scottish Parliament has already voted for – instead of keeping control over Scotland’s energy at Westminster.
“And if he genuinely believes people should have more control over their future, then he must explain why he wants to block people in Scotland from having any choice over ours – by denying Scotland’s democratic right to choose our own future with independence.”
Meanwhile Scottish Greens’ local government spokesperson, Kristopher Leask, said that Mr Burnham’s speech was “big on rhetoric but short on policy, leaving people in Scotland with more questions than answers”.
The Green MSP stated: “Burnham is right that the UK is far too centralised, but this was clearly a speech aimed at the English regions, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland treated as an afterthought.”
Mr Leask argued there was a “clear case” for decisions on energy, employment and workers’ rights to be taken in Scotland – but said the likely future Labour leader had “offered no meaningful detail” on if this would happen.
He added: “One of the biggest and most immediate tests will come in how he responds to our pro-independence Scottish Parliament calling for the power to hold the referendum that Scotland just voted for.
“If Labour wants to distribute power but refuses to trust the people of Scotland with a choice over its future, then its commitment to devolution rings hollow.”
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay also said that Mr Burnham “needs to flesh out what new powers he’s actually talking about”.
But he added: “Scots will be instinctively alarmed at the SNP government being handed even more control, given their astonishing record of failure.
“Social security spending is just one area where the SNP demanded more powers only to create a system that is worse value for taxpayers and wide open to abuse.”
Mr Findlay added: “Weak Labour politicians seem incapable of understanding that they’ll never pacify the SNP by constantly extending devolution.
“John Swinney doesn’t want devolution to work because his only interest is his lifelong obsession of taking Scotland out of the United Kingdom
Reform-led government that seeks to ‘double down on Brexit’ could be ‘accelerator’ towards Irish unity, former taoiseach says.
‘I think it’s healthy that political parties in the south are preparing and discussing this issue’
Matthew O’Toole at the panel discussion along with Leo Varadkar and Ian Marshall.
By David Young
June 25, 2026 at 4:31pm BST
A Reform-led government in the UK that seeks to “double down on Brexit” could act as an “accelerator” towards Irish reunification, former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.
Ireland’s current Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan also suggested that a rise in English nationalism could influence the debate on Northern Ireland’s constitutional future and potentially bring forward the timing of any future referenda on unity.
Mr O’Callaghan also restated his view that organisations such as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) could be retained in a united Ireland, and could work alongside Ireland’s Garda, much like separate police forces operate in different areas of England.
Both men made the comments as they took part in discussions at an event in Belfast focused on the future relationship between the island of Ireland and Britain and the prospect of Irish unification.
Former Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar said the Brexit referendum had acted as an “accelerator for change” when it came to the debate on Northern Ireland’s future.
He said the election of a Reform UK government could have a similar effect, especially if the party pressed for a UK withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Such a move would pose profound questions for Northern Ireland, given much of the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 is underpinned by the convention.
“I think there is a possibility that an accelerator could be a UK government led by Reform, led by Nigel Farage, that doubles down on Brexit, that takes this view that Brexit failed because it wasn’t done properly, and looks for a harder separation from the EU, and reopens these questions around ECHR, where the checks are done, and so on,” said Mr Varadkar.
“That’s a possibility, and it’s a possibility that might be closer than we think.”
Mr Varadkar said he considered a Reform-led government a “possibility” rather than a “probability”.
“I think, in the end, the UK won’t vote for Reform,” the former Irish premier said, as he suggested Andy Burnham may call, and win, a snap general election if elected Labour leader.
“I’m not predicting this, but I think we have to consider the possibility that a UK election, a UK Westminster election, which we were certain was going to be in 2029, now could happen in 2027 and there’s a possibility, although not a probability, that that could result in a Reform-led government or Reform/Conservative coalition, and we have to think about the consequences of that,” he said.
Mr Varadkar’s successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, recently announced that his party would set out its vision for a united Ireland later this year.
“I was very happy about it, and I’m very glad to see that Fine Gael will be active in this space and part of this debate, so it was welcome,” Mr Varadkar told the Future of these Islands event.
Fianna Fáil TD Mr O’Callaghan said he was not concerned that Fine Gael had made that move on the issue of reunification.
“I think it’s healthy that political parties in the south are preparing and discussing this issue,” he said.
Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, a border poll on reunification should be called in Northern Ireland by the incumbent Northern Ireland Secretary when he/she believes there is evidence that public opinion in the region has shifted in favour of constitutional change. In that event, a simultaneous poll would also be held in the Republic of Ireland.
Successive UK governments have consistently declined to specify publicly what criteria will be applied when measuring public sentiment on the issue.
Outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously insisted the question of calling a referendum is “not even on the horizon”.
Mr O’Callaghan published his own paper in 2021 setting out his ideas on what a united Ireland could look like. Those included retaining a role for Stormont and the retention of the PSNI as a stand-alone police service for the region.
On Thursday, the justice minister said political events were likely to be inherently unpredictable in the coming 10 years.
Asked by reporters if he believed referenda could be held by the end of this decade, Mr O’Callaghan said that could be the case if Reform UK came to power.
“There could be (a poll in the next four years) if Reform came to power, if they decided that they wanted to get out of the European Convention on Human Rights and if that required them to dispense with Northern Ireland, that could occur, but I can’t predict the future,” he said.
“I don’t know a date as to when there will be a border poll, but I think it is worthwhile having discussions like this as we have had today.”
Mr O’Callaghan said there was an onus on future Irish governments to start planning for constitutional change.
He acknowledged that would create a “sensitive political issue” for the authorities in Dublin amid concerns about antagonising unionists in Northern Ireland.
The TD said he felt the way to address those sensitivities would be to initially frame the question in the context of the Republic of Ireland and its citizens, rather than broadening the debate to the whole island.
“I think a future Irish government is going to have to prepare for constitutional change,” he said.
“Obviously that decision and the process by which an Irish government prepares for it is a sensitive political issue in itself because we have to be conscious not represented in this room (the event venue in Belfast) is a significant population within Northern Ireland whose political representatives don’t want to engage with this issue.
“And how does an Irish government put in place a preparatory scheme which isn’t seen by unionism as being threatening or an attempt to steamroller them into something they don’t want to do, and that is a sensitive issue.”
On the potential of confining the planning to the Republic of Ireland in the first instance, Mr O’Callaghan added: “That is a sensitive way for the Irish state to put out what it is we’re prepared to do to achieve Irish reunification, and I think that could be seen as something that isn’t threatening or insensitive to other people. There are people in this room who may be completely unsupportive of that and they may say, ‘well, why aren’t people in Northern Ireland having a say in the future of our island?’.
“But I think it’s a sensitive way of starting the discussion by an Irish government in the south.”
SDLP leader Claire Hanna welcomed the contributions made during Thursday’s event at the MAC Belfast.
Afterwards she said the rise of English nationalism “looms quite large” in the debate on Irish unity.
“The prospect of a Reform-led or Reform-infused UK government is serious, and every single speaker acknowledged the reality of that and the potential it would have,” she told reporters.
“Both they (Reform UK) could decide they just wanted to dispense with this region, or some of their platforms and proposals – things like leaving the European Convention on Human Rights – could create a challenge and create a crisis. That is why we are arguing for prudent planning.”
