Labour MP Diane Abbott calls for border poll

Image source, UK Parliament/PA

Image caption, Ms Abbott made her remarks about a border poll while at an event in west Belfast, as part of the annual F茅ile an Phobail
  • Author, Mark Simpson
  • Role, 大象传媒 News NI community correspondent

The veteran Labour MP, Diane Abbott, has said she believes the new UK government should call a border poll.

She said it would establish where public opinion lies on both sides of the Irish border.

Ms Abbott, 70, is the longest-serving female MP in the House of Commons, having won a seat in 10 successive general elections since 1987.

She made her remarks about a border poll at an event in west Belfast, as part of the annual festival F茅ile an Phobail.

'We have to have one'

Image caption, Ms Abbott is 鈥渋n favour of a united Ireland"

Ms Abbott said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important to have a border poll, not least because it will establish where public opinion lies.

鈥淚鈥檓 in favour of a united Ireland but it has to be with the consent of both sides of the border, and a border poll to establish where opinion lies is the first step towards a united Ireland."

The Labour government has indicated that it has no intention of calling a border poll in the near future.

Last month, the new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said in Belfast that there was 鈥渘o evidence鈥 that the conditions for holding such a vote had been met.

However, Ms Abbott said, in her opinion, it could it happen this decade.

In an interview with 大象传媒 News NI, she said: 鈥淚t's perfectly possible in the next five years because that鈥檚 what politics is like.鈥

Five weeks before the general election, Ms Abbott was readmitted as one of the party's MPs, after being suspended for saying Jewish, Irish and the Traveller community do not face racism "all their lives".

Image caption, Ms Abbott thinks a border poll could happen this decade

On Thursday, the trade union leader Mick Lynch spoke at the F茅ile and talked about his support for a united Ireland.

Mr Lynch, whose parents are Irish, grew up in London and is general secretary of the RMT union.

He said: "I believe in a united Ireland. It was the way I was brought up. But it's got to be by consent, it's got to a real united Ireland where people come together at their pace.

"I don't believe in coercion. I think we have to grow a united Ireland rather than enforce it."

The F茅ile runs until 11 August.