The British government wants an agreement on Northern Ireland legacy cases that can be accepted by Dublin and by “as many” of Northern Ireland’s political parties and stakeholders “as possible”, the British ambassador to Ireland Paul Johnson has said.
Pointing to a “change of approach” from the new Labour government in London, Mr Johnson said Irish and British officials met on Thursday to “find solutions” to the outstanding issues.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, Mr Johnson told the opening of the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, has said that London will not appeal a Belfast High Court ruling that found that parts of the legacy legislation was unlawful.
“We need to go away and work on what the implications of that are. We want to get to a situation where our approach to the legacy of the Troubles is fully consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights [ECHR],” he said.
Saying that the Labour administration is “fundamentally committed” to the ECHR, the ambassador said London wanted a legacy deal that “is supported by the Irish Government and as many political parties and stakeholders in Northern Ireland as possible”.
The changes required are “a very technical, complicated piece of law” and regulations “that will take some time to take forward”, said Mr Johnson, in conversation with former RTÉ broadcaster, Eileen Dunne.
“The spirit is very much to find, to go back to this very partnership in which the British and Irish governments seek to find solutions to these issues together, rather than either side acting unilaterally.
“That’s not to say there won’t be difficult decisions, but we think that we can disagree on them, but I think the overall realisation is as far as possible to try and find a common ground,” he went on.
The departure of the United Kingdom was “a structural shock” to relations with European Union states, especially Ireland, he accepted: “Eight years on, I think, we’re in a period of trying to put some of the difficulties behind us.”
UK prime minister Keir Starmer, who will visit Dublin in September, is “very much committed” to “resetting” the UK’s relationship with Ireland, he said, adding that it was “no coincidence” that one of his first calls in office was to Taoiseach Simon Harris.
“The British government is recognising that the previous government’s approach to some Northern Ireland issues, including the legacy of the Troubles, did not go down well with the Irish Government and with the parties in Northern Ireland.
“Beyond that, we are working to renew and reset the bilateral relationship, which has been dominated for the last few years by Brexit implications, particularly in Northern Ireland,” Mr Johnson went on.
There is “a huge amount” of areas where Ireland and Britain can co-operate together for the betterment on both, he said, listing renewable energy, climate change, cyber security and measures to help “people of all ages work and live and travel across these islands”.
Irish and British officials are working to ensure that the Common Travel Area agreement flourishes and deals with some of the current immigration challenges to ensure that both countries “can make their borders secure”.
Pointing to the level of engagement that is now taking place, Mr Johnson said six Irish ministers will be in London to meet their opposite numbers over the next week, while a major British-Irish summit is planned for next year.
