The News Letter asked Hilary Benn about whether his planned re-set in relations with Ireland meant he was not going to push back against a country that is suing the UK. Question and video by Ben Lowry, Sunday July 7 2024
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00:00emphasising about resetting relations with the Republic of Ireland government.
00:04They're taking a legal action against your country. You're now in this
00:08government. So did you think they were right maybe because you seem to agree
00:12with them on legacy about that? And the second thing is you keep saying all the
00:15parties agree on legacy but unionists don't agree with Sinn FĂ©in and there's a
00:20widespread feeling that the legacy process is unbalanced and the security
00:25forces for whom you are Secretary of State have suffered very badly on this.
00:28Is there going to be no pushback at all against Ireland or is it all the fault
00:33of the former government?
00:36The decision on bringing the interstate action was a decision of the Irish government.
00:41Oh sorry. The decision to bring the interstate action was a decision of the Irish government and that is for them to take.
00:52You've heard me express today and previously the criticisms that we have now as a
01:00government of the Legacy Act. What I said was the Legacy Act doesn't have
01:06support among the parties in Northern Ireland and that is accurate. Now I also said I will try and reach as broad a consensus as possible but I am not going to stand before you and say that I think that everybody will necessarily agree with all of the
01:22evidence. But having met many victims' families, I mean the very first visit I made to Northern Ireland as Shadow Secretary of State was to WAVE and I sat and was there for about two hours and I listened to the stories of the families who were there and this whole process must be about trying to bring comfort and closure insofar as it's possible and information to families and you can't do that with a
01:51system based on legislation that doesn't have support here in Northern Ireland. That is a key point that I made. But I'm also pragmatic which is why now that the Commission has been established it has certain powers and I very much welcome the way in which Sir Declan Morgan has approached his task, his willingness for example to have this enhanced inquisitorial procedure which would be hearings within the framework of the
02:21Commission, a bit like an inquest. So I think there is an opportunity here but in the end the Commissions have to prove its worth to families because they will be the judge of whatever system is in place, whether it gives them what they've been looking for. And as far as the Armed Forces are concerned, well I met the family of a British soldier who was murdered by the IRA while sitting on a couch in Belfast with his fiancée and his mother was very opposed to the Legacy Act.
02:51Because she didn't feel that this was going to give her justice and information about what happened to her son. So there are a range of views but I am committed to working with all parties because that's not what happened when the Legacy Act was introduced in the Bush Republic.