Burnham vows to ‘deepen relationship’ with EU as he welcomes Irish Taoiseach to No 10 North
He said it was “very fitting” for Micheál Martin to be the first head of government to visit No 10 North because of the close ties between the North West and Ireland
Andy Burnham has pushed for "stronger and closer ties" between the UK and the EU during a meeting with his Irish counterpart in No 10 North.
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The prime minister signalled his desire to "deepen the relationship with Europe" as the Taoiseach became the first international leader to visit the Manchester site.
Mr Burnham said it was “very fitting” for Micheál Martin to be the first head of government to visit No 10 North because of the close ties between the North West and Ireland.
The pair were expected to discuss strengthening the relationship between the UK and Ireland, improving security and trade, providing support to Ukraine and working with the European Union.
Mr Burnham said: “The relationship between the UK and Ireland matters so much on every single level.
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“Close to home, as co-custodians of the Good Friday Agreement, we are working together to uphold its principles as we approach the 30th anniversary next year.
“In Europe, we are looking forward to a UK-EU summit later this year and, with Ireland in the presidency, wanting to take further steps to deepen the relationship with Europe.”
As well as the visit to No 10 North, Mr Martin was joining the Prime Minister at an Irish club in his Makerfield constituency.
Mr Burnham said: “Here in the North West, but across the UK, so many people have Irish connections and they will be so pleased to see you with us today.
“So you are extremely welcome.
“I’m really pleased that you’re our first visitor here.”
Mr Martin said: “We look forward to discussing with you even stronger and closer relationships between the European Union and the United Kingdom, which will be of benefit to the European Union and indeed to Ireland, quite frankly.”
Mr Martin said it had been a “very challenging and difficult week” for Mr Burnham following the death of his father Roy and “I think your sense of duty shines through”.
He said that “in a global world marked by a lot of uncertainty” it was important for the two close neighbours to have “very strong engagement”.
He also praised the UK government's condemnation of Benjamin Netanyahu's government for turning a "blind eye" to "ethnic cleansing" by settler terrorists in the West Bank.
It was accompanied by a fresh package of tougher sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in unison with France and Canada.
Mr Martin said the change of stance was "important for standing up for humanitarian values and justice and fulfilling the rights of all in the Middle East to security, to peace and to some decent future for their children and generations to come.”
The meeting comes just days after US President Donald Trump had a meeting with the Taoiseach while in Dublin, where he said he would “love to see” a united Ireland.
Trump added that reunification would “happen eventually” and that the Taoiseach was “the right man over here to get it moving”.