Tag

31 Jul Foreign affairs

Cyprus needs its own Good Friday Agreement

I am a Unionist. It is probably the most important part of my political philosophy.

28 Apr Home affairs

A celebration at Hillsborough Castle reminded me how compromise will secure peace in Northern Ireland – and beyond

On the tours of Parliament that I am sometimes able to give my constituents, I often start by reminding visiting Moorlanders, as they stop to take in the stark grandeur of Westminster Hall, that the origin of the word ‘Parliament’ is the Norman French ‘parler’, to speak, and that debate is the foundation of our democracy.

19 Apr Brexit

Rishi Sunak Warns A Failing Stormont Will Harm Unionism, As Pressure Grows On The DUP

Rishi Sunak has renewed his call for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to rejoin Stormont, telling the closing day of a major conference in Belfast that Northern Ireland's political institutions being out of action "will not bolster" unionism.

18 Apr Brexit

DUP Lays Ground For Potential Summer Return To Stormont

Hope is growing that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is preparing for a return to Northern Ireland's political institutions this summer.

17 Apr Brexit

Architects Of Good Friday Agreement Urge The DUP To Do "What's Right" And Rejoin Stormont

Architects of the Good Friday Agreement have urged the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its boycott of Northern Ireland's political institutions at a major conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic peace deal.

06 Apr History

The Good Friday Agreement will not be revived by repeating old debates

A certain sickly sentimentality has already descended on the commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

04 Apr Brexit

Unionists must seize this opportunity to transform Northern Ireland for all

The current debate within unionism, both in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom, is fundamental to the whole future of the union.

18 Jan Home affairs

We must continue to honour the Good Friday Agreement to ensure stability within the two parts of Ireland

North-south co-operation is right at the heart of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The exchange of constitution for institutions was central to the very remarkable compromise agreed in 1998.

27 Jul 2022 Obituaries

'Bravery, vision and commitment': Brandon Lewis MP pays tribute to Lord Trimble

It was with great sadness that I learnt this week of the death of David Trimble.

18 Jul 2022 Brexit

Peter Kyle: Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would do untold damage to our global reputation

The government is in chaos, if it can be said to be governing at all. Ministers are nowhere to be seen, either checked-out early ahead of September’s reshuffle or consumed with the leadership campaign. They’re failing in their duty to our country.

15 Jun 2022 Brexit

The government’s threat to leave the ECHR to fulfil its Rwanda policy risks breaking the Good Friday Agreement

What a difference a day makes. In less than 24 hours Boris Johnson has gone from pretending to be a defender of the Good Friday Agreement, to threatening to remove the legal underpinnings of peace in Northern Ireland altogether.

15 Jun 2022 Brexit

MP In Northern Ireland Office Withdraws Call For UK To Ditch Key Condition Of Peace Agreement

A senior MP in the Northern Ireland Office has withdrawn his call for the government to cut ties with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) after it was pointed out that the Good Friday peace deal requires the UK's participation.

13 May 2022 Brexit

A Major New Political Force In Northern Ireland Could Rewrite Power Sharing

Northern Ireland’s political map was redrawn when nationalist Sinn Fein overtook unionist DUP to become the largest party at last week’s Assembly elections, but it’s the surge of the non-aligned Alliance party that is more likely to raise fundamental questions for the region in the short term.

25 Oct 2021 Brexit

A time-limited UK-EU treaty could solve the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol

The United Kingdom and the European Union both share both a common interest and a duty to do everything in their power to ensure peace and stability in Northern Ireland and support the still fragile process of reconciliation between different communities.

21 Oct 2021 Brexit

The UK government must not miss this opportunity to resolve issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol

Northern Ireland is a society that only works through sharing and interdependence. Brexit with its often-simplistic approach to complex situations and stark choices was always going to pose particular challenges to our region, including upsetting the delicate balance of the Good Friday Agreement.

09 Apr 2021 Brexit

The DUP’s failure to take responsibility is fanning the flames of violence in Northern Ireland

No longer the kingmakers at Westminster and having been roundly ditched by Boris Johnson, the DUP have resorted to their classic position of ‘No’ without offering any viable alternatives, and of deflecting blame wherever it might stick.

07 Apr 2021 Brexit

"Betrayal" over Brexit must be urgently addressed to help stabilise violence in Northern Ireland

The government must be more proactive in recognising the dangers and managing the growing pressures in an already fragile Northern Ireland.

11 Nov 2020 Brexit

Joe Biden's Election Means Boris Johnson Is Running Out of Options On Northern Ireland And The Internal Market BIll

The UK government insists its Internal Market Bill does not imperil the Good Friday Agreement. But can it convince the incoming US president and the Irish American lobby? Georgina Bailey reports on the dilemma facing No. 10

30 Oct 2020 Brexit

What could a Biden presidency mean for a US-UK trade deal?

With the US election only days away, attention in Westminster has turned to look across the Atlantic, and what the result could mean for trade, Brexit, and the Good Friday Agreement