Taoiseach to become first foreign leader to visit UK prime minister Burnham at No 10 North

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will become the first foreign leader to visit No 10 North when he attends a bilateral meeting with UK prime minister Andy Burnham. One of Burnham’s first acts as prime minister was to establish an office in Manchester as a counterbalance to No 10 Downing Street in London. Burnham said he wants to rebalance power and control in the country and having a prime ministerial office in Manchester is part of that change. Thursday’s meeting will be the first between the Taoiseach and UK prime minister since Burnham took office in July. They have met previously when Burnham was mayor of Manchester. READ MOREThere will be a private tête-à-tête between the pair and then a wider bilateral with officials.The agenda will include Irish-UK relations, Northern Ireland and the long-delayed EU-UK reset summit which is due to take place before the end of Ireland’s presidency of the EU. Taoiseach Micheál Martin and US president Donald Trump. Photograph: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images [ Trump asked President Connolly if Irish unity would be ‘resolved’ during her lifetimeOpens in new window ]The meeting comes after US president Donald Trump’s comments last weekend that he was in favour of a united Ireland and also the agreement between the leaders of the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin calling for independence for Scotland and Wales and the reunification of Ireland. The Taoiseach has already said publicly that legacy is a priority. He has also called on the British government to set out the circumstances under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement in which a Border poll could be called. The next UK-Ireland summit will take place in the UK next year.[ Irish exports to Canada have quadrupled since EU trade deal, Taoiseach saysOpens in new window ]