SINN Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has renewed calls for a referendum on Irish unity within the next five years, arguing that partition is the root cause of Northern Ireland’s economic problems.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, McDonald described the region as “not economically viable” in its current form and said the North is “cut off from its natural political, social and economic hinterland.”
She brought up the rise in economic growth across the island since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, claiming that the value of the all-Ireland economy has multiplied sixfold since then.
When questioned about the substantial financial support, £18bn for 2025/26, that Northern Ireland receives from the British government, McDonald claimed that a small island like Ireland makes no economic sense being divided.
McDonald’s comments come at a time of increased speculation about her political future, with recent statements leaving open the possibility that she will run for the Irish presidency after previously ruling herself out of this year’s contest.
She described Sinn Féin’s presidential plans as “a moving picture.”
However, her vision for reunification faces resistance from the current Irish government.
Tánaiste Simon Harris, speaking during his first official visit to Stormont earlier this year, downplayed the likelihood of a border poll during the current government.
Although Fine Gael, Harris’s party, has recently moved from seeing Irish unity as a mere aspiration to an official objective, Harris insisted that it is not his priority.
He stressed the importance of fulfilling Ireland’s role as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement by ensuring the effective functioning of Stormont.
According to Harris, all Irish political leaders aspire to a united Ireland, but he does not expect a referendum to happen soon or even within the next five years.
Sinn Féin continues to push for formal planning for a border poll, anticipating it will take place before the end of the decade.
Public sentiment on the question of unity remains divided.
Recent polling indicates growing support for reunification, particularly among younger voters in Northern Ireland, but a majority remains elusive.
Estimates vary widely on the cost of unification, one research paper by the Institute of International and European Affairs tank put the cost at €20bn every year for 20 years, although other experts claim the true figure is far lower.