Category: Irish in Britain
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Jeremy Corbyn – The DUP connection
The DUP could talk to Labour in a hung Parliament, but only if it was led by someone other than Jeremy Corbyn, Arlene Foster suggested at the weekend. However, there are signs that some in the DUP take a more nuanced view. The Belfast Telegraph's political editor Suzanne Breen noted that East Antrim MP Sammy…
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Justice for the Forgotten to speak on Troubles Legacy in London
The legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is unusually high on the Westminster agenda at the moment, so it worth taking note of a very timely meeting being organised by the Labour Party Irish Society next Monday: We want to alert you to an extremely important event we are organising for MONDAY 2 JULY,…
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Equal marriage bill is big test for Theresa May
After being moved in the Lords by Lord Hayward on Tuesday, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Bill passed its first hurdle in the Commons yesterday. The bill secured first reading without objections after a powerful speech by St Helens North MP Conor McGinn
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Brexit options for the Irish border (video)
Cross-posted from Patreon: Turkey's TRTWorld channel very kindly invited me to appear on their Roundtable discussion programme this morning to discuss Brexit and the Irish border, with presenter David Foster, journalist John Crowley, Tim Skeet of Britain for Europe and Irish Labour's Gerard Howlin. You can see the video above.
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Is Labour moving towards a hard border in Ireland?
A cross-post from Patreon. Labour's line on Brexit has hardened perceptibly in recent days, but only yesterday Jeremy Corbyn was still keeping his options open on the customs union. However, Labourlist reports that Shadow Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner has now suggested that remaining in the EU customs union would leave the UK a 'vassal state'.…
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Corbyn, McDonnell, and the Irish peace process
As many people expected, the election campaign has brought rigorous scrutiny of Jeremy Corbyn’s past statements on Ireland, as well as those of his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. Both are London MPs with close links to the Irish community in the city, particularly significant in Corbyn’s constituency of Islington North.
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A common concern – Brexit and the Irish border
It is not often you see a Government intervening directly in a domestic political debate in another country, but the potential impact of Britain's EU referendum on Ireland has seen the usual protocols thrown out the window – no doubt with the discreet approval of the Cameron Government. The Irish Government has made a strong effort to…
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Making the case for Irish unity in Britain
I popped up to Camden on Saturday for the Sinn Fein conference on Irish Unity, which it appears is a prelude to the creation of a new solidarity group in Britain. The most interesting speaker was Coleraine Councillor Billy Leonard, who talked about the implications of Scottish and Welsh devolution for Ireland, the decline of…
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Irish Events in London: Irish Unity conference
The Good Friday Easter Monday blog brings us news of a Sinn Féin conference on Irish unity at the London Irish Centre on Saturday 17th November. More details at the Wolfe Tone Society site. It could be interesting if it gives an insight into how Sinn Féin will go about dealing with the various challenges…
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Irish events in London: Ruan O’Donnell on the Border campaign
A couple of events in London next week worth noting. Firstly, The Connolly Association brings us details of a talk by historian Ruan O’Donnell at Hammersmith Irish Centre on Wednesday: Date: 14 November (Wednesday) Time: 7pm, Irish Centre, Hammersmith, London Speaker: Ruan O’Donnell; chair: Peter Berresford Ellis. Further details tel. 0044 (0)207 8333022 A LEADING…