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Sinn F\u00e9in president Mary Lou McDonald has warned that her party will resist any move by the British government to “force” identity cards on Irish citizens in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
She dismissed it as a “ham-fisted” plan and said no thought had been given to people in Northern Ireland when “it was first hatched”.<\/p>\n
The Sinn F\u00e9in president was speaking at an event hosted by her party at the Labour party conference in Liverpool.<\/p>\n
McDonald said the proposed “BritCard” was a “ludicrous proposition” and no government had the right to impose it on Irish citizens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
She added that the right of “citizens in the north to identify as Irish was enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement”.<\/p>\n
“This is a non-runner and Keir Starmer should pause and reconsider this plan,” she said.<\/p>\n
In her speech, the Sinn F\u00e9in president also accused the British and Irish governments of “burying their heads in the sand” over Irish unity.<\/p>\n
She said both governments entered into an agreement which committed to hold referendums and they should now start the preparations.<\/p>\n
“It is not sustainable for the prime minister and taoiseach [Irish prime minister] to ignore the calls for Irish unity any longer,” she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n