By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - Sinn Fein’s top leaders – party leader Mary Lou McDonald, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, and newly appointed Senator Conor Murphy – visited London on Monday to discuss prospects for Irish reunification and full implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
The visit marks the party’s first official delegation to the UK since Keir Starmer’s Labour government came to power last June, with party leaders saying democratic provisions of 1998 Good Friday Agreement must now be honored, with reunification votes on the island within five years.
Speaking to foreign journalists in London, McDonald said Sinn Fein was optimistic that the new administration could herald a sharp change in Anglo-Irish relations after years of strain under successive Conservative governments.
“Our message is about progress in Ireland, the delivery of the Good Friday Agreement, and the ongoing need for preparation for referendums on Irish reunification,” she said.
“We hope that now, with a Labour government led by (Prime Minister) Keir Starmer, we will see a much more cohesive and respectful relationship.”
McDonald said the Good Friday Agreement, brokered 27 years ago with strong support from both Labour and the US, remains unfinished business.
At its core lies the provision for a referendum on Irish unity – a clause she said she believes is nearing political maturity.
“We are close to a tipping point,” she said. “Referendums must be called, and the necessary preparation must begin now. Irish history is still being written.”
O’Neill echoed the sentiment, underlining Sinn Fein’s commitment to the institutions of the agreement and power-sharing in Northern Ireland, but emphasized the need for continued political will from London.
“This government must fulfill its commitments within the agreement – and that includes facilitating the referendum,” she said. “The agreement is not static; it requires constant care and attention.”
- US trade
The Sinn Fein delegation also addressed concerns around transatlantic trade, warning that deteriorating relations with the US – particularly under President Donald Trump – could pose a serious threat to Ireland’s economic stability.
Murphy said: “We want a mature trading relationship with the US. Ireland has deep economic ties with America, especially in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. If this aggressive, dogmatic approach to international trade continues, it won’t just damage Ireland – it will raise costs for ordinary American citizens too.”
While Murphy said he remained hopeful that diplomacy could prevent economic fallout, he signaled frustration with what he called an increasingly “erratic” US trade posture.
- Sharp words for Washington on Palestine
But perhaps the most direct criticism was reserved for US foreign policy – particularly in relation to the Middle East.
McDonald did not mince words, accusing Washington of being on “the wrong side” of history in its support for Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“Sometimes you have to say the hard things to your friends,” she said. “In the case of the US, they are on the wrong side of Palestine. They need to stop enabling Israel. And they’re not alone – everyone else complicit in this must stop too.”
McDonald acknowledged the vital role the US played in helping deliver the Good Friday Agreement, saying: “Peace in Ireland would not have happened without the US. But constructive partnership also means calling out injustice when we see it.”
The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was a landmark peace deal signed in 1998 to end decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
Backed by public referendums in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the agreement created a power-sharing government that gave equal voice to both nationalist and unionist communities. It remains a cornerstone of peace and political stability on the island.