UK pushes back after Trump backs Irish unification

LONDON — The British government pushed back Saturday against US President Donald Trump’s comments supporting Irish unification, saying there was insufficient public support in Northern Ireland to trigger a referendum on its constitutional status.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Prime Minister Andy Burnham continued to believe that the conditions required under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for holding a referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional future had not been met.

The response came after Trump said he would “love” to see a united Ireland and suggested that unification “may as well happen now” during a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.

“I don't want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I'd love to see it unified,” Trump said.

“I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.”

Trump described Irish unification as “fantastic,” while acknowledging that the UK would have a say in the issue.

Under the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional status can be called if it appears likely that a majority would vote for the territory to leave the United Kingdom and become part of a united Ireland.