General Election will be a 'barometer on Irish unity' - Sinn Fein
Democratic Unionists say voters will use the poll to show they wish to stay part of the United Kingdom.
Wednesday 31 May 2017 06:17, UK
Sinn Fein says the General Election will be a "barometer on demand for Irish reunification".
But the Democratic Unionists believe voters will demonstrate their desire to remain part of the United Kingdom.
In some Northern Ireland constituencies, Unionist parties have made a pact in their bid to retain the seat.
Arlene Foster, Democratic Unionist Party leader, said: "If you want to secure the Union, then you have to vote for the strongest Unionist party because Sinn Fein members don't even go to Westminster."
But Sinn Fein's Stormont leader, Michelle O'Neill, defended her party's policy of abstention.
"We don't swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen. We think that our oath of allegiance has to be to the people we represent," she argued.
In the recent Stormont election, Sinn Fein surged to within one seat of the Democratic Unionists.
Party leader, Gerry Adams, said the General Election "will be seen in many ways as a barometer on Irish unity".
Colum Eastwood, leader of the nationalist SDLP, claimed securing the option for Northern Ireland to remain in the EU, had made a border poll much more winnable.
"Instead of it being a narrow nationalist agenda now, it's about a pro-European internationalist agenda to reunite Ireland and put it back into the European Union," he said.
But Ulster Unionist leader, Robin Swann, argued there were more pressing issues.
"People are more concentrated on getting our health service up and running again, sorting out our Education Service's budget and sorting out jobs and day to day issues that they want resolved rather than looking to a border poll," he said.
Up to a third of Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies could change hands in this election.
It is the fourth poll here in two years and some have grown weary of polarising campaigns.
Naomi Long, leader of the cross-community Alliance Party, said: "I think what people are looking for are politics that are based on hope and aspiration, that are offering people the opportunity to celebrate diversity rather than exploit division."