Mary Lou McDonald had previously said unification was within "touching distance" after the return of power-sharing government to Northern Ireland, led by her Sinn Fein colleague Michelle O'Neill. But she acknowledges there is "an awful lot of work to be done".

Mary Lou McDonald had previously said unification was within “touching distance” after the return of power-sharing government to Northern Ireland, led by her Sinn Fein colleague Michelle O’Neill. But she acknowledges there is “an awful lot of work to be done”.

Mary Lou McDonald was speaking to Sky News following the restoration of the Northern Ireland executive, where her party - a nationalist group - is now the largest caucus in Belfast for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement came into effect.

She said: “What I firmly believe is - in this decade - we will have those referendums, and it’s my job and the job of people like me who believe in reunification to convince, to win hearts and minds and to convince people of that opportunity - part of which, by the way, will be really consolidating our relationship with Britain as our next door neighbour and good friend.”

Asked if she meant before 2030, Ms McDonald said “yes”.

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    11 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Mary Lou McDonald was speaking to Sky News following the restoration of the Northern Ireland executive, where her party - a nationalist group - is now the largest caucus in Belfast for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement came into effect.

    She said: “What I firmly believe is - in this decade - we will have those referendums, and it’s my job and the job of people like me who believe in reunification to convince, to win hearts and minds and to convince people of that opportunity - part of which, by the way, will be really consolidating our relationship with Britain as our next door neighbour and good friend.”

    Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, there is a pathway for a reunification poll to be held in Northern Ireland.

    According to the Institute For Government, there is no parallel mechanism in the Good Friday Agreement for a referendum in the Republic of Ireland, where Ms McDonald is a politician.

    Asked about her previous comments that unity is within touching distance, the Sinn Fein president said she was talking in “historic terms”.

    “They need to give it a structure and a place and of course it has to be inclusive - we want to hear from every voice, including those for whom reunification would not be their first option - those who go out and campaign for the union.”

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