Leo Varadkar accused of reinventing himself after Irish unity comments

Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister has accused former taoiseach Leo Varadkar of 'reinventing himself' over comments he made about Irish unity.
Emma Little-Pengelly took a swipe at the former Fine Gael leader after he said that Irish unity would become 'centre stage' if Reform leader Nigel Farage was elected UK prime minister.
Advertisement
Mr Varadkar said if Mr Farage became UK prime minister, it would 'change the pictures in terms of attitudes towards independence in Scotland', and change the views of some people in the middle ground in Northern Ireland.
Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar in conversation with Rev Karen Sethuraman at St Mary's University College, Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)
Mr Varadkar said he believes planning for a united Ireland should be happening, but that a date should not be fixed as the numbers to win a vote are not in place.
He added: 'I don't think a united Ireland is inevitable, I think it's something that we have to work towards.
'But I think there are a lot of factors that would suggest that we're on that trajectory.
Advertisement
'Demographic factors, polling, even the most recent numbers showing that a very clear majority of younger people in Northern Ireland want there to be a new united Ireland.'
However, speaking in Armagh at the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) on Friday, Ms Little-Pengelly said that Mr Varadkar is 'entitled to reinvent himself in whatever way that he so chooses'.
'But he is wrong in terms of the trajectory, I think, when you look at people in Northern Ireland voting for nationalist parties, that hasn't moved since 1998, still in and around the 40%, that hasn't increased,' she said.
'And while there's more complexity in terms of the voting beyond that, everyone else is either voting for a proactively Unionist party or parties who explicitly say that they do not want to be focused or agitate for constitutional change.
Advertisement
'There hasn't been any significant shift in that. There's nothing, in my view, to say that the trajectory is such that this inevitability. I don't accept that it is an inevitability, but for my part, I do believe that the focus should be on around uniting the people of Northern Ireland together.
'That very much a focus on reconciliation, but a focus on actually serving their needs.
'While others are preoccupied by these big constitutional debates, for me, it should be about getting on and actually delivering the education system our people want.
'The tackling those big health waiting lists, tackling those big issues that face us here in Northern Ireland, because that's what's impacting on people's lives, day in and day out.'
Advertisement
Taosieach Micheál Martin said his focus is on the 'reconciliation' between all traditions on the island, as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland's relationship.
'I'm very much focused on the hard ground, building relationships. I think what we're doing today is part of that agenda,' he said.
'I'm not going to anticipate what's going to happen in the British election in two or three years time.
'I've often said to Leo, don't always be obsessed with the opinion polls, because they give a different result.
Advertisement
'My own experience bears that out. Point is, I don't know what is going to happen in the British election.'
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the 'prudent' thing to do is to plan for what is 'potentially' happening in years to come (Liam McBurney/PA)
He added: 'Our agenda has to be to try and use the this moment to advance issues of common interest and to get things done.
'We have witnessed a significant change in the relationship between the United Kingdom government and the Irish Government on a number of fronts.'
Tánaiste Simon Harris said that every taoiseach aspires to see 'our country united'.
He added: 'But we do have a huge amount of work to do, and I share the Taoiseach's view in relation to that body of work.
'At the moment, I think relations between the British and Irish governments are at the best they have been in a very long time.
'We have good and honourable interlocutors in London working with, I hope, what they find to be good and honourable interlocutors in Dublin and in Belfast.
'So whilst I certainly don't think Leo's comments are wrong, I think that's where the focus of the Irish Government is at in the here and now.'
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the 'prudent' thing to do is to plan for what is 'potentially' happening in years to come.
She said it is possible to 'chew gum and walk at the same time'.
'I think we can have good relationships, build good relationships. That's always going to be a good thing,' the Sinn Fein MLA said.
'I think we can cooperate on our own mutual interest that we're talking about today here at the North South Ministerial Council.
'Equally, I think we have to plan for constitutional change and set out the argument so people can make mature, rational decisions about what world they see themselves.
'We all have a stake in the future, so let's now plan for it.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

British rocket launch backed by Labour falls further behind in space race

A British rocket start-up backed by Labour has pushed back the date of its first launch and is hunting fresh funding as the UK faces falling further behind in the space race. Orbex, which in January received a £20m investment from the taxpayer, confirmed its first test launch from the Shetland Islands would be in 2026, rather than later this year as hoped. The start-up is building its 62ft Orbex Prime rocket at a factory in Scotland, which is intended to carry small satellites into space. After securing taxpayer support, Orbex is now seeking a further £120m in funding from private investors over the next four years to bring its ambitions to reality, it said in a submission to MPs. The company is also pushing for further government backing, calling for support for its bid to build a new, larger rocket for the European Space Agency. The space organisation, of which the UK is a member, is offering companies up to £144m for its European Launcher Challenge as Europe seeks alternatives to its current reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX. Orbex has been lobbying for Labour's £7bn National Wealth Fund to back the space sector, which it said in a consultation filing to MPs could 'level the playing field and unlock significant value for the UK economy'. The delay to Orbex's mission comes after a series of setbacks for Britain's fledgling launch industry. After a failed launch from Cornwall in 2023, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit went bankrupt. Since then, no new attempts at an orbital mission have gone ahead. Now, a number of small rocket companies are seeking to launch from UK soil, largely from Saxavord, a spaceport on the Shetland Islands, although they have faced delays. German start-up, Rocket Factory Augsburg, is still targeting a mission this year from Shetland, although its last test ended with its rocket exploding on the launchpad. Skyrora, a Scottish start-up, is hoping to launch from Shetland next year. A spokesman for Orbex said: 'There are many factors at play in determining our launch schedule, including licensing and launch logistics. This is not unusual.' The spokesman added government support would be needed to build a European rocket: 'National funding commitments and private investment will both be needed for winning bidders. 'UK Government support for our sector will send a clear signal to ESA that UK orbital launch companies like Orbex are a smart choice and long-term partner.'

The Independent

an hour ago

• The Independent

Palestine Action member says potential ban ‘absurd'

A Palestine Action member has said the governments plans to proscribe the group, effectively branding them a terrorist organisation is "absurd." Saeed Taji Farouky said it "rips apart the very basic concepts of British democracy and the rule of law... something everyone should be terrified about." It is understood the home secretary is preparing a statement to put before Parliament on Monday, after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two planes with red paint. Farouky said Palestine Action's "whole reason for being is to break the material supply chain to genocide" and said Friday's incident was an "escalation in tactics because the genocide has escalated". Israel continues to deny allegations of genocide relating to the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Guardian

an hour ago

• The Guardian

Keir Starmer backs US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has backed the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and called on Tehran to return to negotiations. Donald Trump, the US president, announced overnight that the US had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, joining Israel's attacks. There was no UK involvement in the action. Starmer said on Sunday there was a 'risk of escalation' after the US strikes, including 'beyond the region'. He added: 'It is important that we now de-escalate the situation, stabilise the region and get the parties back around the table to negotiate.'