Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown says 'of course' Ireland will be united
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated that a united Ireland is inevitable in the long term, though he emphasized it would be a complex process. His comments follow remarks by current PM Andy Burnham, which sparked backlash from nationalist politicians.
Why it matters
The comments touch on sensitive geopolitical issues regarding the Good Friday Agreement and the future of the United Kingdom.
FORMER UK PRIME minister Gordon Brown has said that it is inevitable that Ireland will be united in the long term.
In an interview with The Guardian’s Saturday magazine, Brown was asked whether the geographical link between the North and the Republic meant it made sense to unite the two.
“Yes. Well, of course, in the long term, Ireland will be united,” he said, adding that it would be “a long process where people have got to come together and find a way of agreeing.”
“Basically, that is the issue: whether people can actually agree.”
Brown, who led the UK from 2007 to 2010, made the comments in the wake of UK prime minister Andy Burnham’s remarks this week that a united Ireland referendum is “off the table “.
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