Micheál Martin has cautioned UK government ministers against discussing possible changes to the terms of a referendum on Irish unity. Northern Ireland Office Minister Steve Baker recently suggested such a vote should require a “super-majority” to pass, instead of the current simple majority of 50% plus one. Martin, who is the Irish deputy prime minister, warned that fundamental constitutional changes that were endorsed by the Irish people should not be “casually dismissed”. The 1998 Good Friday peace agreement stipulates that Northern Ireland’s status cannot change without the consent of a majority of its people.
Baker’s suggestion was criticised by Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, who said that there can be “no changing of the goalposts” on the level of support needed for a vote on Irish unity to succeed. However, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has since downplayed the idea, saying that it did not signal a shift in government policy. Baker has suggested that a super-majority is necessary after the experience of the Brexit referendum. Although he supported Leave in that vote, he has previously said that he regrets it did not require the support of 60% of voters.
Speaking to the BBC, Martin cautioned that agreements must not be “rewritten on the hoof” and that practical matters affecting people’s daily lives must be given priority. He argued that discussions of super-majorities detract from the “evolving situation”. Martin also pointed out that the Good Friday Agreement required support of at least 70%, adding that constitutional changes must be taken seriously.
Following Baker’s comments, Angela Smith, the Northern Ireland spokesperson for the UK’s opposition Labour Party, said that such a shift in policy would damage the Good Friday Agreement and risk reawakening sectarian tensions. The Scottish National Party also criticised the suggestion as a “recipe for chaos”
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