Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald says she will demand referendum on Irish unity if she wins election | Politics News

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald says she will demand a referendum on Irish unity in her first phone call with Sir Keir Starmer if she wins Ireland’s general election.

In the second of our leader interviews, she told Sky News she would also be able to strike the right balance in dealings with US President-elect Donald Trump because women “naturally multi-task”.

Ms McDonald, who describes Friday’s poll as “an historic opportunity” to elect Ireland’s first female prime minister (taoiseach), expects a vote on Irish reunification to take place by 2030.

She said: “I think that the process of reunification has to be at the heart of government.

“Obviously, the other issues around housing and healthcare, all the bread-and-butter issues… are critically important.

“But the central question for all of us now is what does Ireland look like in five years’ time, in 10 years’ time?”

“I believe that we will have the referendums in this decade. I think that is a necessary thing.

“It can’t constantly be the elephant in the room,” she added.

Sinn Fein won the popular vote in the last general election in 2020, but slipped in the polls over the last year, largely due to a disconnect with its base over immigration.

With the latest polling indicating some recovery, the party is fielding a record 71 candidates this time in the hope of replacing the centre-right Fine Gael/Fianna Fail coalition.

Asked how she would manage the relationship with the incoming Trump administration, given Ireland’s stance on the Middle East but reliance on US investment, Ms McDonald acknowledged it would be challenging.

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She said: “I don’t think President Trump would be one bit surprised to hear from an Irish taoiseach, particularly a Sinn Fein taoiseach, [on] our position on Palestine.

“The need to end the genocide, the need to stop arming Israel, the need for Israel to be held to account, and for international law to be respected.

“Can you do that and at the same time maintain this economic relationship? I believe you can, and I believe we must.”

“I suppose the alchemy, the chemistry of getting this right is about balancing those things.

“I believe it can be done. Maybe because I’m a woman and we naturally multi-task, but that doesn’t fill me with any trepidation at all,” she added.

Watch the Mary Lou McDonald interview in full on Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge from 7pm. Sky News has also interviewed the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaders.