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“Chance”
Starmer and his newly appointed Northern Ireland secretary, Hilary Benn, “will not be forced to put a border vote on the agenda, at most there will be some pressure on them to outline the procedural criteria for a vote”.
Unionists have traditionally allied themselves with the Conservatives and are wary of Labour, but few are saddened by the Conservatives’ defeat after 14 years in power.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said after the party had “productive discussions” with Starmer: “He has the opportunity to make significant changes and move things forward positively.”
Some unionists argue that the post-Brexit trade rules agreed by the DUP would create a de facto “maritime border” between mainland Britain and the province, undermining its place within the wider UK.
Bowe said unionists “hope Starmer will prioritise closer ties with the EU, which in turn could mitigate the impact of the maritime border, or even eliminate it”.
Meanwhile, Labour’s manifesto pledged to repeal the controversial “legacy bill” that prompted Dublin to take London to the European Court of Human Rights.
The law, which came into force in May, suspends investigations into Troubles-era crime in Northern Ireland, including several cases allegedly involving British security forces, and grants conditional immunity to perpetrators.
“There is no wiggle room on this, Labour must scrap it,” Jon Tonge, professor of politics at the University of Liverpool, told AFP.
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