I won’t prioritise Irish unity, I want closer ties with UK, says new leader

IRELAND’S incoming prime minister Simon Harris has said that Irish unity is a ‘legitimate aspiration’ – but will not be his priority.

The new Fine Gael leader also said he sought ‘closer relations’ with the UK following diplomatic tensions post-Brexit.

The outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is due to hand over to Mr Harris this week, caused controversy when he predicted a united Ireland within his lifetime. But in his first interview as Mr Varadkar’s successor, Mr Harris struck a different tone.

‘It’s a legitimate political aspiration for people in our country to want to see a united Ireland,’ he said. ‘The Good Friday Agreement provides that framework. You can recognise different political aspirations and a clear pathway for those to be achieved.

‘That’s not where my focus and priority is right now and quite frankly, it’s not where I believe our focus and priority should be.

‘We have a peace process that is enduring on this island and is in many ways one of the most successful peace processes in the world.

‘But it’s also a frosty peace. I don’t believe we’ve had an opportunity to see the full potential of prosperity embedded right across the island of Ireland through the framework of the Good Friday Agreement.’

His comments will be well received in Westminster and by Unionist parties in Northern Ireland.

He became leader of Fine Gael after Taoiseach Mr Varadkar’s shock resignation last month. At 37 he will be the youngest ever Taoiseach, and added: ‘But I want to say this very clearly, I do want to have closer relations with Britain, with the UK Government.

‘Trade between our two countries is worth € 2.5billion (£ 2.14billion) every week.’