US President Donald Trump has sparked a backlash in the United Kingdom after saying during his visit to Dublin that he would like to see a united Ireland, suggesting that this development could happen sooner than expected.
During a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Trump said the reunification of the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland would be a "fantastic thing." "I would like to see it united. I think it would be a great thing. It's going to happen one day, so it could happen now," the US president said.
Trump's statements have caused immediate reactions in British politics. Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat called the comments "unhelpful", noting that the traditional position of American presidents has been to respect the right of the people of Northern Ireland to decide their own constitutional future.
Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick also openly opposed the US president's stance, calling the call for Irish reunification "completely wrong." Jenrick stressed that Trump should not interfere in British politics and that the constitutional future of Northern Ireland should be decided by its own people.
Meanwhile, the British government has also reiterated that the conditions do not currently exist for a referendum on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a so-called "border poll" can be called if the British minister for Northern Ireland assesses that there is a possibility that a majority of voters will support union with the Republic of Ireland.
The issue remains one of the most sensitive political topics on the island of Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement stipulated that the constitutional status of Northern Ireland can only be changed through the democratic will of its citizens. While Irish nationalists have welcomed Trump's statement, unionist politicians have insisted that the decision lies solely with the people of Northern Ireland.
