Sir Keir Starmer is visiting the Republic of Ireland as part of a ‘reset’ of relations following a change of government.
that Prime Minister He will meet Ireland Simon Harris attended as part of his visit to Dublin.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland First Minister Hilary Benn is due to address the Anglo-Irish Union Conference in Oxfordshire, promising the UK government will open a “new chapter” in Anglo-Irish relations.
Northern IrelandIrish First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Littlepengelly and Irish Republic Deputy First Minister Michael Martin are expected to attend the meeting.
As part of his speech, Mr Benn is expected to acknowledge the “deep disruption and anger” caused by the Conservative government’s controversial Northern Ireland Issues (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. It prevented new cases and judicial investigations into the chaos-era killings from being launched. and Attempted to grant conditional pardons to suspects.
Labour has pledged to repeal the law, but Mr Benn wants to strengthen the independent truth-finding body established under the law, which he says should be able to work with police in the Republic of Ireland to investigate past incidents.
He will say: “It may simply not be possible to reach full agreement on the heritage issue, but I ask everyone to recognise that this is a new government with a new approach and that a spirit of compromise is needed.”
Earlier this week, Northern Ireland’s veterans’ commissioner, Danny Kinahan, resigned, saying he was “unable to provide the independent voice that veterans need” after “open and honest” discussions with Mr Benn.
The Northern Ireland Secretary thanked Mr Kinahan for his work.
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Mr Benn also pledged to work to ensure Britain maintains its post-Brexit transition. Windsor FrameworkAnd he told Northern Ireland politicians that further suspension of parliament there would be counterproductive.
Back in Dublin, Sir Keir and Mr Harris’s top priority is trade, with €100 billion (£84 billion) worth of business crossing the Irish Sea each year.
“Our relationship has never reached its full potential, but I want to change that,” Sir Keir said ahead of his visit.
“(The Irish Prime Minister) and I share the same vision for the future and look forward to further deepening our cooperation.”
Mr Harris said the meeting in Dublin was “a moment of significant reset in British-Irish relations”.
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Mr Harris said that in addition to developing trade relations, the two would also discuss “how, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, we can ensure that this moment of reset benefits the entire relationship between these islands, both today and in the future”.
In the evening, Sir Keir and Mr Harris will watch the Republic of Ireland vs England football match.
