Britain never intended to keep its promise to Ireland. Burnham just made that official.

And why, one might reasonably ask, would Britain hold on to a place it clearly does not want? Because this has never been about the North of Ireland. It has been about the United Kingdom’s self-image, about the Crown’s claim to territorial integrity, about the nostalgic fantasy that Britain still matters in the world. The North of Ireland is a symbol for the Brits. It has never been a priority as we can see British governments have systematically underinvested in the region for decades. The public services are in crisis, hospital waiting lists in disgrace, schools underfunded, housing unaffordable, an economy that has been stagnant for as long as anyone can remember, with power-sharing functioning primarily as a mechanism for managing austerity rather than improving lives.