Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row?

Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 36% are rated left, 41% are rated centre, 23% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 27. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.

Is Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row left or right?

Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 36% are rated left, 41% are rated centre, 23% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.

Is the coverage of Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row biased?

Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row is one event reported by 27 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.

Which outlets covered Burnham says Irish border poll 'off the table', sparking row?

27 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.

What did UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham say about an Irish border poll?

During his visit to Northern Ireland, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that a border poll on Irish unification is 'off the table'. He explained that referendums can create divisions that take a long time to heal, citing Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum as examples.

How did Sinn Féin respond to Burnham's comments?

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald strongly criticised Prime Minister Burnham's remarks. She stated that no prime minister has the authority to 'high-handedly' remove the provision for a unity referendum from the Good Friday Agreement, and that Burnham had acknowledged this fact.

What was the reaction from the DUP?

DUP leader Gavin Robinson welcomed Prime Minister Burnham's comments. Robinson stated that Burnham had "put to bed the nonsense" speculation surrounding a unity poll, indicating his approval of the Prime Minister's stance.

What are the conditions for an Irish border poll?

Under the Good Friday Agreement, the Secretary of State can decide to hold a border poll if a majority appears likely to vote for Irish unification. The agreement also requires the people of the Republic of Ireland to vote in favour for constitutional change to take effect.