Sinn Fein pressure on Starmer as he meets Belfast leaders

SIR Keir Starmer pressed on with a four-nation tour today after Labour’s election triumph as the new PM came under pressure from Sinn Fein to agree to a reunification vote in Northern Ireland.

- Jitendra Joshi

The Irish nationalists emerged from the election as Northern Ireland’s largest Westminster party, in terms of both seats and vote share. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald afterwards urged Sir Keir to “embrace the right of Irish selfdetermination”.

But Hilary Benn, newly appointed as Northern Ireland Secretary, said the prospect of a vote on Irish unity is “off into the distance”, a position backed by Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris.