Conference 2024
THE BRITISH-IRISH ASSOCIATION 2024 CONFERENCE
Conference Report
In his opening remarks, The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, chair of the BIA, said that although the restoration of the Stormont institutions had created a new dynamic, the question now is how to combine good neighbourliness and the furtherance of the common good at a time of challenge to democratic legitimacy. A central question of this conference would be how to take our societies forward in ways that bring people together and enable them cooperatively to achieve good things for the other.
The deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, gave the opening speech of the conference. Due to the unavoidable absence of the First Minister, she spoke on her own. Having had fifteen years of experience of Northern politics, she was well aware of the difficulties, the achievements, the lost opportunities, the skills required, and the restrictions, but also of the hopes. How, she asked, do we grow our economy? How do we tackle stubbornly low productivity, the high levels of economic activity, and the challenges of global volatility through conflict, climate change, pandemics, migration wars and disruption to supply chains? While these questions were not unique to Stormont, its particular structure inevitably led at times to disagreement, delay and imperfect compromise. However, the need to argue through every disputed proposal could also be a strength. She was deeply proud to be from Northern Ireland, a place which had made extraordinary progress in the last two decades and is now a global leader in cyber-security, fintech, advanced manufacturing, life and health sciences, agriculture and aerospace.
After her speech, the dFM joined the broadcaster William Crawley in a wide-ranging conversation that took in comments and questions from the audience. There were around 165 participants in the room.
The first session of the following day was led by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, and by Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Speaking first, the Tánaiste commended the BIA for the positive role it has played over recent decades. He described the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement as an 'amazing act of collective imagination', was glad that its principles were now firmly embedded but cautioned that they should never be taken for granted. Now was the time for a similar leap of collective imagination in regard to the British-Irish relationship. Brexit had tested that relationship and led to uncertainty, mistrust and stasis; the recent commitment of both governments to a reset of relationships across the full spectrum of British-Irish cooperation was therefore very welcome.
There were three specific issues which the Tánaiste felt should be at the centre of this reset partnership. First, sustainable prosperity across these islands. Second, the need to ensure that the Northern Irish institutions do not endure 'another cycle of suspension, disenfranchisement and political torpor', and third, the compelling need to address the legacy of the past. Martin welcomed the UK government's commitments to repeal and replace the Legacy Act but called for a robust, thorough and ambitious process, ideally advanced in partnership between the two governments, beyond those initial steps. Partnership is central to the British-Irish relationship.
(The full text of the Tánaiste's address is at https://www.gov.ie/ga/oraid/6119c-tanaistes-remarks-at-the-british-irish-association-conference.)
The Secretary of State also acknowledged the centrality of the GFA, of which both governments are co-guarantors. It was in his view the greatest achievement of the previous Labour government; the current UKG's commitment to the GFA - in letter and in spirit - was absolute. Similarly, its support for the ECHR was unwavering.
After commending the Northern Ireland Executive for the positive start it has made, Benn noted the need for difficult decisions to balance the books, raise additional revenue and sustain public services. He also noted the need to ensure that the devolved institutions endure, and warned that, should they collapse again, the two governments working with all the parties 'would need to find a new way forward'.
Benn acknowledged the 'other rift in the relationship' - how to approach the legacy of the Troubles. He said that the unilateral approach taken by the previous UK government was wrong and hence the current government was committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. After noting the steps taken so far, he focused on measures to strengthen the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on which he was committed to working with the Irish government. There was potential too for wider co-operation across these islands, in particular in the areas of climate and energy, as well as a broad suite of common security challenges.
(The full text of the Secretary of State's address is at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/secretary-of-state-a-new-chapter-in-the-uk-ireland-relationship.)
The Ministers took questions together after their speeches, in a session chaired by Sir Ciarán Devane.
Tom Fletcher, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, spoke next on the state of democracy now. He saw democracy as being about who had power; liberalism about stopping them having too much power. The period ahead would determine whether democracy's checks and balances would be tested or tested to destruction. This year would see significant elections in more than 50 countries; around 1.5 billion people will be going to the polls.
When his own diplomatic career had begun in 1989, the future of liberal democracy had seemed almost assured. It was less so today. The time has come perhaps to be a bit a more idealistic, to show that democracies could do some things better than autocracies. Delivering justice, for example. We should define what we were defending, manage new developments like social media and AI, make technology accountable to us, not us to it, and find effective ways to devolve power.
Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories; Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care; Conor Murphy MLA, Minister for the Economy, and Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture responded to Tom Fletcher's remarks in a panel discussion entitled Rising to the Challenge. It was chaired by Alison Hilliard.
The ministers broadly shared Fletcher's anxieties about the health of democracy now. One, who had campaigned in every election since 1974, said that he had never encountered so many people who felt alienated from the political process as he had this year. Austerity, economic inequality, social media, the 'winner takes all' approach after the Brexit referendum and 'government by psychodrama' had all played a part in this.
Conspiracy theories, alternative narratives and the spread of disinformation by malign actors posed very real threats. Shared and better analysis of these threats was needed, together with more investment in resilience, not only of infrastructure and institutions but also of citizens. This would enhance people's ability to assess information sources and identify the deliberately misleading. To achieve it would require political will. Politicians should be giving leads on shared values and not doing or saying things that undermine them. The UK and Ireland should work together on this: Britain was in NATO, Ireland was not; Ireland was in the EU, Britain now was not. There was much to be done, including working against the effects of austerity and jointly supporting Ukraine. And good people should be encouraged to enter politics.
The panellists welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to work closely with the devolved governments, and the re-set of relations between the UK, Ireland and the EU.
The last session of that day took the form of a discussion between young people from both sides of the Irish border, with the journalist Mark Hennessy in the chair. Among the many topics that they covered were the damaging effect of the Covid pandemic, the consequent rise in levels of anxiety, especially over the climate crisis, housing and the cost of living. The perceived rise of the far right made the streets feel unsafe, especially for young people of colour. Social media bombards people with messages of hate and misogyny; hard-core porn and grooming online are a very big issue. Young people are turning away from politics completely. But, on the upside, they are socially concerned, globalised and have a vision for society. They want to see Ireland, the land of céad míle fáilte, returning to the values it was known for in the past. Interculturalism, not multiculturism, is key. It's time to address shared issues with a long-term lens, to reform and rebuild, with something more for young people, north and south. We need to have conversations about common problems. The future is not about unification but inclusion.
In the sermon he preached on the Sunday morning of the conference, the Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, archbishop of Dublin, looked at some of the problems facing society today and the civic virtues needed to address them, taking Proverbs 22.2: The rich and the poor have this in common; the Lord is the maker of them all as his text. The full sermon is available at https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2024/09/08/we-have-a-shared-humanity#
After the ecumenical service of prayer, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher QPM, gave a compelling talk on the key issue of legacy, which in his view is connected to a multitude of issues today across the island of Ireland, including societal well-being, economic strength and opportunity, UK and Irish governmental relationships and the trust and confidence of the public towards both governments and the devolved assembly in Northern Ireland.
The importance and the difficulty of dealing with the past was the theme of the last session of the conference. Dr Gail McConnell read from Professor Clair Wills' account of her family's harrowing experience of the Mother and Baby homes in Ireland, the author herself being unable to attend. Martin Doyle talked about his book Dirty Linen, which is the story of those who lost their lives, and those who mourn them, in the place where he grew up in County Down, and an urgent reminder of the need to 'look upon the dead'. Peter Taylor's Operation Chiffon is about the secret intelligence operation and covert lines of communication that helped to bring about the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Informed by his fifty years of reporting from Northern Ireland, it is based on interviews with those who were involved. Asked why his informants had decided to talk to him. Taylor replied that they had wanted the truth to be revealed. Without the truth, he said, progress cannot be made.
Conference Report
In his opening remarks, The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, chair of the BIA, said that although the restoration of the Stormont institutions had created a new dynamic, the question now is how to combine good neighbourliness and the furtherance of the common good at a time of challenge to democratic legitimacy. A central question of this conference would be how to take our societies forward in ways that bring people together and enable them cooperatively to achieve good things for the other.
The deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, gave the opening speech of the conference. Due to the unavoidable absence of the First Minister, she spoke on her own. Having had fifteen years of experience of Northern politics, she was well aware of the difficulties, the achievements, the lost opportunities, the skills required, and the restrictions, but also of the hopes. How, she asked, do we grow our economy? How do we tackle stubbornly low productivity, the high levels of economic activity, and the challenges of global volatility through conflict, climate change, pandemics, migration wars and disruption to supply chains? While these questions were not unique to Stormont, its particular structure inevitably led at times to disagreement, delay and imperfect compromise. However, the need to argue through every disputed proposal could also be a strength. She was deeply proud to be from Northern Ireland, a place which had made extraordinary progress in the last two decades and is now a global leader in cyber-security, fintech, advanced manufacturing, life and health sciences, agriculture and aerospace.
After her speech, the dFM joined the broadcaster William Crawley in a wide-ranging conversation that took in comments and questions from the audience. There were around 165 participants in the room.
The first session of the following day was led by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, and by Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Speaking first, the Tánaiste commended the BIA for the positive role it has played over recent decades. He described the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement as an 'amazing act of collective imagination', was glad that its principles were now firmly embedded but cautioned that they should never be taken for granted. Now was the time for a similar leap of collective imagination in regard to the British-Irish relationship. Brexit had tested that relationship and led to uncertainty, mistrust and stasis; the recent commitment of both governments to a reset of relationships across the full spectrum of British-Irish cooperation was therefore very welcome.
There were three specific issues which the Tánaiste felt should be at the centre of this reset partnership. First, sustainable prosperity across these islands. Second, the need to ensure that the Northern Irish institutions do not endure 'another cycle of suspension, disenfranchisement and political torpor', and third, the compelling need to address the legacy of the past. Martin welcomed the UK government's commitments to repeal and replace the Legacy Act but called for a robust, thorough and ambitious process, ideally advanced in partnership between the two governments, beyond those initial steps. Partnership is central to the British-Irish relationship.
(The full text of the Tánaiste's address is at https://www.gov.ie/ga/oraid/6119c-tanaistes-remarks-at-the-british-irish-association-conference.)
The Secretary of State also acknowledged the centrality of the GFA, of which both governments are co-guarantors. It was in his view the greatest achievement of the previous Labour government; the current UKG's commitment to the GFA - in letter and in spirit - was absolute. Similarly, its support for the ECHR was unwavering.
After commending the Northern Ireland Executive for the positive start it has made, Benn noted the need for difficult decisions to balance the books, raise additional revenue and sustain public services. He also noted the need to ensure that the devolved institutions endure, and warned that, should they collapse again, the two governments working with all the parties 'would need to find a new way forward'.
Benn acknowledged the 'other rift in the relationship' - how to approach the legacy of the Troubles. He said that the unilateral approach taken by the previous UK government was wrong and hence the current government was committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. After noting the steps taken so far, he focused on measures to strengthen the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on which he was committed to working with the Irish government. There was potential too for wider co-operation across these islands, in particular in the areas of climate and energy, as well as a broad suite of common security challenges.
(The full text of the Secretary of State's address is at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/secretary-of-state-a-new-chapter-in-the-uk-ireland-relationship.)
The Ministers took questions together after their speeches, in a session chaired by Sir Ciarán Devane.
Tom Fletcher, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, spoke next on the state of democracy now. He saw democracy as being about who had power; liberalism about stopping them having too much power. The period ahead would determine whether democracy's checks and balances would be tested or tested to destruction. This year would see significant elections in more than 50 countries; around 1.5 billion people will be going to the polls.
When his own diplomatic career had begun in 1989, the future of liberal democracy had seemed almost assured. It was less so today. The time has come perhaps to be a bit a more idealistic, to show that democracies could do some things better than autocracies. Delivering justice, for example. We should define what we were defending, manage new developments like social media and AI, make technology accountable to us, not us to it, and find effective ways to devolve power.
Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories; Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care; Conor Murphy MLA, Minister for the Economy, and Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture responded to Tom Fletcher's remarks in a panel discussion entitled Rising to the Challenge. It was chaired by Alison Hilliard.
The ministers broadly shared Fletcher's anxieties about the health of democracy now. One, who had campaigned in every election since 1974, said that he had never encountered so many people who felt alienated from the political process as he had this year. Austerity, economic inequality, social media, the 'winner takes all' approach after the Brexit referendum and 'government by psychodrama' had all played a part in this.
Conspiracy theories, alternative narratives and the spread of disinformation by malign actors posed very real threats. Shared and better analysis of these threats was needed, together with more investment in resilience, not only of infrastructure and institutions but also of citizens. This would enhance people's ability to assess information sources and identify the deliberately misleading. To achieve it would require political will. Politicians should be giving leads on shared values and not doing or saying things that undermine them. The UK and Ireland should work together on this: Britain was in NATO, Ireland was not; Ireland was in the EU, Britain now was not. There was much to be done, including working against the effects of austerity and jointly supporting Ukraine. And good people should be encouraged to enter politics.
The panellists welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to work closely with the devolved governments, and the re-set of relations between the UK, Ireland and the EU.
The last session of that day took the form of a discussion between young people from both sides of the Irish border, with the journalist Mark Hennessy in the chair. Among the many topics that they covered were the damaging effect of the Covid pandemic, the consequent rise in levels of anxiety, especially over the climate crisis, housing and the cost of living. The perceived rise of the far right made the streets feel unsafe, especially for young people of colour. Social media bombards people with messages of hate and misogyny; hard-core porn and grooming online are a very big issue. Young people are turning away from politics completely. But, on the upside, they are socially concerned, globalised and have a vision for society. They want to see Ireland, the land of céad míle fáilte, returning to the values it was known for in the past. Interculturalism, not multiculturism, is key. It's time to address shared issues with a long-term lens, to reform and rebuild, with something more for young people, north and south. We need to have conversations about common problems. The future is not about unification but inclusion.
In the sermon he preached on the Sunday morning of the conference, the Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, archbishop of Dublin, looked at some of the problems facing society today and the civic virtues needed to address them, taking Proverbs 22.2: The rich and the poor have this in common; the Lord is the maker of them all as his text. The full sermon is available at https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2024/09/08/we-have-a-shared-humanity#
After the ecumenical service of prayer, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Jon Boutcher QPM, gave a compelling talk on the key issue of legacy, which in his view is connected to a multitude of issues today across the island of Ireland, including societal well-being, economic strength and opportunity, UK and Irish governmental relationships and the trust and confidence of the public towards both governments and the devolved assembly in Northern Ireland.
The importance and the difficulty of dealing with the past was the theme of the last session of the conference. Dr Gail McConnell read from Professor Clair Wills' account of her family's harrowing experience of the Mother and Baby homes in Ireland, the author herself being unable to attend. Martin Doyle talked about his book Dirty Linen, which is the story of those who lost their lives, and those who mourn them, in the place where he grew up in County Down, and an urgent reminder of the need to 'look upon the dead'. Peter Taylor's Operation Chiffon is about the secret intelligence operation and covert lines of communication that helped to bring about the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Informed by his fifty years of reporting from Northern Ireland, it is based on interviews with those who were involved. Asked why his informants had decided to talk to him. Taylor replied that they had wanted the truth to be revealed. Without the truth, he said, progress cannot be made.