Good Friday Agreement Explained: Why Burnham and Martin Have Reaffirmed Their Commitment
The UK and Irish leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 1998 peace agreement as they discussed reconciliation, the legacy of the Troubles and Northern Ireland’s constitutional future.
The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was signed on April 10, 1998, by the British and Irish governments and political parties involved in negotiations on Northern Ireland. The agreement established a framework for power-sharing and relations within Northern Ireland, between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and between the UK and Ireland.
The agreement followed three decades of conflict known as the Troubles and established the principle that Northern Ireland’s constitutional status can change only with the consent of a majority of people in Northern Ireland.
It also created devolved institutions, set out arrangements for North-South and East-West cooperation and included provisions covering rights, policing, justice, decommissioning and the release of prisoners.
The agreement’s three-strand structure covers Northern Ireland’s internal governance, relations between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and relations between the UK and Ireland. It was endorsed in referendums in Northern Ireland and Ireland on May 22, 1998, and formally came into force on Dec. 2, 1999.
UK, Irish Leaders Revisit Agreement Commitments
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin reaffirmed their commitment to the Good Friday Agreement during a meeting in Manchester on Sept. 18.
According to the UK government, the two leaders reaffirmed the close partnership between the UK and Ireland and their shared commitment to upholding the agreement. They also discussed their joint commitments to addressing the legacy of the Troubles and working toward lasting reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
The meeting took place at No.10 North, the new Downing Street site in Manchester. It was Martin’s first visit to the location and marked the first time an international leader had visited the site, according to the UK government.
Burnham said, “The relationship between the UK and Ireland matters so much on every single level.”
The two leaders also discussed the UK’s relationship with Europe, the war in Ukraine and preparations for the next UK-Ireland Summit, which is due to be hosted by the UK in the first half of 2027.
Consent Principle Shapes Northern Ireland’s Future
The Good Friday Agreement is the foundation of Northern Ireland’s current constitutional and political framework.
Under its first strand, the agreement established the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. The second strand created institutions for cooperation between Northern Ireland and Ireland, while the third established mechanisms for cooperation between the UK and Ireland.
The agreement also recognizes the right of people in Northern Ireland to identify as British, Irish or both, and to hold British and Irish citizenship.
Northern Ireland remains part of the UK unless a majority of people in Northern Ireland vote for a change in its constitutional status. The agreement provides for a referendum on constitutional status where the relevant legal conditions are met.
Trump’s Remarks Renewed Debate Over Reunification
The latest reaffirmation comes amid renewed public discussion about the possibility of Irish reunification.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments during his visit to Ireland on Sept. 12 brought additional attention to the issue. Trump said he would “love to see” Ireland unified and suggested that such a change could happen eventually.
Trump said, “I don’t want to cause any problems but I’d love to see it unified. It’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now. I think it would be a fantastic thing,” adding that “the UK will have something to say about it, obviously.”
The comments prompted a response from Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson, who wrote on X, “Northern Ireland’s constitutional future will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington.”
The constitutional question is governed by the consent principle in the Good Friday Agreement, rather than by statements from governments or political leaders outside Northern Ireland.
Burnham Reiterates Commitment to Consent Principle
Burnham has said his government remains committed to the Good Friday Agreement and its principle of consent.
During a visit to Northern Ireland in August, Burnham said that, as the 30th anniversary of the agreement approaches, his commitment to every part of it, including the principle of consent, remained unwavering.
The anniversary will fall on April 10, 2028, three decades after the agreement was signed in 1998. The UK government has described the agreement as the foundation of Northern Ireland’s peace process and constitutional settlement.
Burnham said, “I am not aware that there is majority public support for another referendum, and until that changes, there will not be one.”
Martin, for his part, said Burnham had not said anything different from previous British prime ministers. “Prime Minister Burnham has been very clear in subsequent comments that he’s fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement and all aspects of it, and particularly the principle of consent,” Martin said.
The Good Friday Agreement establishes the principle that constitutional change must have majority consent in Northern Ireland, while the UK government’s legal framework provides the mechanism through which such a referendum can be called.
Burnham and Martin’s reaffirmation places the Good Friday Agreement at the center of the UK-Ireland relationship as the agreement approaches its 30th anniversary.
The focus remains on maintaining the institutions and principles established by the agreement, addressing the legacy of the Troubles and continuing cooperation between the UK, Ireland and Northern Ireland. The UK government said the leaders also looked ahead to the next UK-Ireland Summit in 2027.
