Tackling poverty and inequality is the biggest challenge facing Scotland, First Minister Humza Yousaf will say at today’s anti-poverty summit.
Led by the First Minister, the summit offers a vital opportunity for the Scottish Government to listen to, and work with key partners, campaigners, cross-party representatives and those with direct experience of poverty, to help inform Scotland’s drive to tackle poverty and inequality.
Opening the anti-poverty summit, the First Minister is expected to say: “The Scottish Government recognises the cost of living crisis is putting a huge strain on households and no-one should have to make the choice between heating, eating or turning the lights on.
“Tackling poverty and inequality is the single biggest challenge facing Scotland and requires continued, urgent and sustained action.
“Today’s anti-poverty summit is an opportunity to get round the table with campaigners, businesses, the third sector, local government, representatives from Holyrood’s main political parties and, crucially, those with direct experience of poverty, to hear their views and insights.
“This is the collaborative approach that people across Scotland want to see their First Minister and political leaders take – to secure real action on the biggest issues facing our country.
“We have a strong foundation to build on, with almost £3 billion allocated this year to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the cost of living crisis, and we have announced details this week of how tens of thousands of households will be supported as a result of the Fuel Insecurity Fund being tripled.
“But, as we discuss what more can be done, nothing will be off the table and I look forward to hearing all contributions at the summit, which I hope will drive new momentum in the fight against poverty in Scotland.”
The report is based on an inquiry undertaken between July 2022 and March 2023. The inquiry involved 12 oral evidence sessions, with a total of 43 witnesses, as well as 58 written submissions.
The report examines the overarching state of the post-Brexit relationship between the UK and EU, and how this might be developed in the future, across four themes:
The overall political, diplomatic and institutional relationship;
the foreign policy, defence and security relationship;
energy security and climate change; and
mobility of people.
After years of tension and mistrust, recommendations focus on actions to be taken as a priority as part of a reset of UK-EU relations following the recent agreement of the Windsor Framework.
The Committee’s key findings and recommendations are as follows:
The political, diplomatic and institutional relationship
The opportunity the recent improvement in the mood around UK-EU relations this presents for a reset of UK-EU relations should, following years of tension and mistrust, must be grasped.
There should be a considerable increase in engagement between the UK and the EU. This should include greater use of existing institutional structures such as the TCA Specialised Committees. There would also be value in holding regular UK-EU summits. The UK’s participation in the new European Political Community is welcome.
The foreign policy, defence and security relationship
Cooperation between the UK and the EU has been close and productive in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, the ad hoc approach to sanctions coordination with the EU should be replaced by a more formal mechanism.
The Government’s decision to participate in the Military Mobility project under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is welcome. It should consider future opportunities for defence cooperation with the EU that are complementary to NATO as they arise.
The Government should approach the EU with the aim of establishing appropriate structured cooperation arrangements on external affairs.
Energy security and climate change
Energy trading between the UK and the EU has continued without much disruption despite the energy security challenges experienced in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, an agreement should be reached to guarantee that energy flows can continue in the event of a critical supply shortage.
The UK and the EU should cooperate closely on the installation of additional interconnectors, including in the North Sea, which are needed to ensure future energy security.
There would be mutual benefits to be gained from the UK and the EU linking their respective Emissions Trading Schemes and the Government should approach the EU about this possibility. The Government should also engage closely with the EU in relation to the latter’s proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Mobility of people
The end of free movement of people between the UK and the EU has had a major impact on business and professional travel. Government guidance on business and professional mobility should be made more straightforward to navigate and interpret.
The substantial decline in school visits from the EU to the UK since 2019 is regrettable. To address this the Government should reintroduce a youth group travel scheme that would not require pupils travelling on school visits from any EU country to carry individual passports.
Post-Brexit barriers to mobility have had a disproportionate impact on younger people. The Government should approach the EU about the possibility of entering an ambitious reciprocal youth mobility partnership, similar to existing schemes with other jurisdictions such as Australia and Canada.
Lord Kinnoull, Chair of the Committee, said: “The UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU has regrettably come under significant strain over the period since the TCA came into force, characterised by tension and mistrust.
“While the recent change in mood for future UK-EU relations following the announcement of the Windsor Framework is welcome, there is now the opportunity to move the relationship forward to the mutual benefit of both the UK and the EU.
“A particular theme running through our Future UK-EU Relationship report evidence was the significant impact of post-Brexit barriers to mobility young workers and professionals in the early stages of their careers, emerging artists, as well as students across different educational levels. Making progress here will benefit all in the short term but especially in the long term.
“The Committee feels that it is now time to address the considerable lack of structure in the foreign policy, security and defence relationship. Here we particularly recommend means of seeking to make sanctions bite harder through analysis and enforcement cooperation.
“Another area we looked into was energy. Here again we have made many recommendations which will help our long term energy security.
“We have also made a number of recommendations about the current institutional relationship and how improvements can be made”.
The Water of Leith deserves better. It’s been a freshwater resource for centuries – ebbing and flowing across Edinburgh, connecting the Pentlands to Colinton, Saughton, Roseburn, Stockbridge, Canonmills, Bonnington and Leith. Our communities were literally built around it’s clean, fresh flowing water (writes Lib-Dem Cllr JACK CALDWELL).
It’s home to over 11 species of fish, thousands of plant species and is absolutely vital to Edinburgh’s local ecosystem, providing a biodiverse habitat for birds, otters and ducks.
So why have we let it fill up with untreated human waste?
There are 65 Combined Sewage Overflow Stations (CSOs) on the Water of Leith, 14 of which are between the Leith Shore and Warriston, a stretch of the river where you can typically find ducks nesting, or people simply enjoying public “green and blue space” as many of us escape from our gardenless flats.
As of January, none of these CSOs currently retain any data of how much sewage they pump out of them when the drains are overwhelmed by harsher weather, which is becoming more and more common due to climate change.
However 24 of Scottish Water’s 108 highest priority assets for urgent upgrade across the country are located here. New screens have been fitted on several CSOs in the past few years with varying anecdotal results, but the issue ultimately lies with sewage flowing into our precious river in the first place. But how much?
When the ‘Sewage Scandal’ broke last in 2021, data was published across the UK. Sadly Not in Scotland though. We know Sewage is being dumped in the Water of Leith, but we don’t know the extent. We also know that extreme weather led to a 40% increase of raw sewage dumping across Scotland in 2021.
The data we do have in nearby rivers is concerning. In December 2019, the Newbridge CSO, which is monitored, spilled sewage water into the River Almond 13 times discharging over 2,100 litres of water in one month (source: SEPA FOI).
Lots of volunteer-led organisations are doing fabulous work trying to get more information or trying to help clean it up themselves. SOS Leith and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, among others, both remove tonnes of litter every month from the river and surrounding paths. However, they can’t, nor shouldn’t have to, remove excrement and wet wipes.
Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur has been pressing Holyrood Ministers to fund and fix the issues, but locally the new Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership must work with Scottish Water and SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to start collecting data before we can even begin to seriously tackle the issue.
With several Scottish Government officials quoted saying Scotland is “way behind” England in terms of solving the raw sewage spill problem, our country, city and communities deserve better.
We need to stop taking Edinburgh’s natural environment for granted. The Council recently declared a nature and biodiversity emergency.
This is why Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion at this Thursday’s Council meeting to get a public meeting of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership as agencies working together and collecting data is a key and urgent part of ultimately stopping the discharge of human waste into Edinburgh’s longest river.
It’s a pity there aren’t more in Holyrood who see the urgency of this issue, but I hope that Councillors can back our plan to move this forward;–
The Lib-Dem motion:
“Council –
Regrets
1) That there are a large number of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) outputs in Edinburgh’s waterways, such as along the Water of Leith, the River Almond and the Figgate Burn.
2) That many CSOs are not actively monitored, despite promises from Scottish Water and SEPA that a number of monitors would be installed by the end of 2022.
3) That although plans have come forward Scottish Water to reduce the amount of CSOs in total, action is still to be taken outwith ‘upgrading’ a small percentage of CSOs.
Notes
1) The important benefits that our rivers and coastline plays for our community, and that many voluntary organisations clean up our waterways, and thanks them for their ongoing service.
2) The current situation is contradictory to the City of Edinburgh Council’s declaration of a Nature and Climate Emergency.
3) The City of Edinburgh Council is a member of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership along with Scottish Water, SEPA and others.
Requests
1) The Edinburgh and Lothians Drains Partnership holds an extraordinary meeting to draft a publicly accessible plan of action and invites key stakeholders and campaign groups including (but not exclusive to) The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, River Almond Action Group, Figgate Friends, Forth Rivers Trust and SOS Leith with Full Minutes published on the Council website alongside a map of all river-based CSOs within the City of Edinburgh.
2) That Transport and Environment Committee is:
provided six-monthly updates on the installation of sewage monitoring to the business bulletin. provided ongoing data when this monitoring is live
3) The Council Leader write to the Scottish Government, Scottish Water and SEPA, outlining the Council’s major concern that no-one knows how much sewage is being dumped in Edinburgh’s biodiverse waterways.
Believes
that the ambition should be that Edinburgh’s waterways are free from the discharge of human waste.”
Moved by: Councillor Jack Caldwell Seconded by: Councillor Hal Osler
Speaking after attendingthe event commemorating the 52nd Anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh at Holyrood on 25th April, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The Independence and National Day of Bangladesh event at the Parliament was a fantastic success.
“It was both a poignant commemoration of the lives lost and affected by the Bangladesh Liberation War and a vibrant celebration of Bangladesh’s success, history and culture.
“It was great to see Scotland’s Bangladeshi community join together in the celebrations, coming together to celebrate over food, speeches, music and dancing.
“It was also fantastic to have on display a painting commemorating the meeting between the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh with Bangladesh’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“It was a great night and a fantastic reminder of the links between Bangladesh, Scotland and the UK. I’ll continue to promote these strong ties between Scotland and Bangladesh through my work in CPG Bangladesh in the Scottish Parliament.
“I thank all of my MSP colleagues and the many Consul Generals from around the world who attended to share in this event, all of the speakers including the Assistant High Commissioner for Bangladesh Kazi Ziaul Hasan, all of our performers who made the night so much fun and the Bangladeshi Community in Scotland, who organised this event.”
During Education and Skills portfolio questions yesterday at the Scottish Parliament, Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs asked the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth, about the safety of schools in Scotland.
Mr Briggs said how it is critical that this government and councils acts as quickly as possible to remove asbestos from the Scottish schools estate to ensure that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.
Across the Lothians 241 schools contain asbestos – 110 in Edinburgh (details below), 31 in East Lothian, 18 in Midlothian and 82 in West Lothian. In the last year, 58 schools had asbestos removed – 20 in Edinburgh, 0 in Midlothian, 38 in West Lothian and East Lothian declined to provide the information.
The Scottish Conservatives have previously criticised the SNP for continuing to pass on “savage” cuts to local authorities, meaning schools don’t have the resources to remove asbestos from school buildings.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of Scotland, herself a former teacher, was asked “what progress has the Scottish Government made in removing asbestos from schools, what impact assessment has been undertaken to look at where currently asbestos is in the school estate and where this will be removed and what timescale will government develop to make sure this happens”.
In response, Ms. Gilruth acknowledged the importance of the issue and said: “Obviously a number of the schools that we are talking about are historically old buildings, I confess that the last building that I worked in, over in Fife, had asbestos in it.
“It is soon to be replaced by a brand new building thanks to this government. I think that’s hugely important as we move forward in improving the school estate, but we will need to recognise some of the challenge here”.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“The danger of asbestos is common knowledge.
“Despite this we still have over 240 schools in across Lothian which still contain this hazardous material.
“It is vital that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.
“Continued underfunding of local authorities by SNP Ministers makes it extremely difficult for council to carry out the necessary work in our school estates to remove asbestos.”
The TUC has highlighted the dangers of asbestos today, International Workers Memorial Day. Asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain.
TUC’s Sally Asquith said: “Schools are some of the most likely buildings to contain asbestos, but also the most obvious site for safe removal.
“Many schools desperately need repair or replacing anyway: the Department for Education has admitted a serious risk of collapse in many school buildings. We know more than 90 per cent of schools contain asbestos, and that the rate of mesothelioma diagnoses among former teachers is rising rapidly, so the need for removal is urgent. In the past six months alone, four schools in England had to close after asbestos was disturbed.
“As well as providing adequate support, and research, for those affected, the only real way to prevent asbestos-related illness in the long term is to remove the substance once and for all.
“Only by removing asbestos from all public buildings can we avoid future risk of exposure and stop the thousands of early – and entirely preventable – deaths from this dreadful, fatal illness.”
#IWMD
Edinburgh
A total of 110 schools contain asbestos:
Nursery/EYC – 21
Primary – 73
High School – 12
Special – 4
We have removed asbestos from 20 schools since 1st April 2022.
Speaking after his Members’ Business Debate on Damp Housing in Scotland at the Scottish Parliament last week (20/04/23), Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after exposure to extensive mould in his home in England, was a stark warning of the dangers that mould can cause when not dealt with properly.
“That’s why it was so important for me to bring this Members’ Business Debate to the Scottish Parliament, to highlight that we must act now to stop preventable deaths like Awaab’s from occurring in Scotland.
“Unfortunately, too many Scottish residents today live in dangerous housing.
“The Scottish Government’s recent House Condition Survey supposedly found that 40,000 homes in our nation fall below tolerable standards, with a third of these being due to rising or penetrating damp.
“Given there are on average two people per household, that’s 80,000 Scottish residents living in homes that their own Government considers to be intolerable, with 27,000 of these due to damp.
“One of my constituents lives with their partner and four children in a council house in Edinburgh.
“Two of the children have asthma, which has gotten worse, and another has developed a constant hacking cough as a result of damp and mould.
“My constituent has told me they fear for their children because of their prolonged exposure to mould and has even had to call an ambulance at one point due to their child having severe chest pains.
“The ambulance report actually cited mould as an environmental factor at their property.
“Another of my constituents has been living in a mould infested house for 16 months with their 21-month-old son, leading to a disastrous effect on their mental health.
“Many constituents are left feeling helpless and like nothing is being done to ensure they have permanent, safe accommodation.
“Negligent behaviour of private landlords must be tackled, especially as almost half of private-sector-rented homes in Scotland supposedly failed the Scottish Housing Quality Standards.
“The experience of my constituents, who have had to move out of their privately rented accommodation because of fears the effects of damp and mould would have on their very young child, speaks for itself.
“Letting agents and private landlords must ensure tenants are aware of the ways in which mould and damp occurs and how to prevent it.
“In addition, landlords should not be renting out houses or flats that need structural repairs to avoid mould forming.
“Ultimately, housing providers should be held responsible for ensuring that the accommodation they provide is clean and safe for every resident or tenant that moves in there.
“The Scottish Government need to do more to help them and hold them accountable when crucial repair work is not being done properly.
“How many trips to the hospital, long-term illnesses, or deaths caused by damp housing is it going to take for the Scottish Government to take this seriously?
“I am asking for the Scottish Government to consider setting up a grant scheme to tackle dampness problems in council, housing association and private sector properties. We need to address both the long and short-term problems with damp housing and consider extra investment for a whole house retrofitting programme, across Scotland.
“Too many of our citizens are living in dangerous accommodation and landlords are getting away with doing nothing about it.
“We, as the Scottish Parliament, have to do more. “
‘we are sending a strong signal to Putin’s Russia that the days of his dominance over global power markets are well and truly over’ – Grant Shapps
LionLink power line between UK and Netherlands will deliver enough electricity to power more homes than Manchester and Birmingham combined
Agreement made as Grant Shapps leads delegation of leading businesses to key North Sea Summit
Part of renewed Government drive to work with business to help grow the economy
The world’s largest multi-use electricity power line will be built under the North Sea, boosting UK energy supplies with enough to power 1.8 million homes – more than Birmingham and Manchester combined.
The new LionLink will connect the UK and the Netherlands with offshore wind farms, providing clean affordable and secure energy to Britain which will help cut household bills and drive Putin’s Russia further out of the energy market.
The cross-border electricity line will be only the second of its kind in the world, with the first having been built by Germany and Denmark. However, it will be able to carry more than four times the amount of electricity as its predecessor – making it the largest of its kind in terms of capacity anywhere in the world.
While normal interconnectors only connect two countries, the multipurpose LionLink will join the UK and Netherlands to each other as well as simultaneously with offshore wind farms at the heart of the North Sea.
The government is announcing the innovative project between the UK and the Netherlands as Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps leads a British business delegation to the crucial North Sea Summit in Belgium today, aiming to boost our collective energy security through new renewable energy and interconnector projects.
This is part of the government’s efforts to work with business to grow the economy, one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities. Boosting clean energy not only helps create better paid jobs across the country but also strengthens economic security by reducing reliance on foreign gas supplies.
The summit will see nine countries meet in Ostend to agree ambitions for building future offshore wind farms. While there, the Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a historic agreement with Denmark to boost trade in cheaper, cleaner energy.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Today’s historic deal with the Netherlands connects our two countries together through this exciting feat of innovation and engineering – the largest of its kind in the world which will provide enough electricity for more homes than in Manchester and Birmingham combined.
“Together with the strong ties we have with our northern European neighbours united today at the North Sea Summit, we are bolstering our energy security and sending a strong signal to Putin’s Russia that the days of his dominance over global power markets are well and truly over.
“I’m proud to have the best of UK energy firms and organisations with me, flying the flag for British business and demonstrating our world-leading expertise in cleaner, cheaper and secure renewable technologies – helping deliver on one of our five priorities to grow the economy.”
Ben Wilson, President National Grid Ventures, said: “Connecting wind farms to multiple markets simultaneously is a game changer for energy infrastructure and brings us one step closer to realising the enormous green energy potential of the North Sea.
“Not only can we deploy every spare electron where it is needed most, we can help to reduce the impact of infrastructure on coastal communities.
“We now need the right political, legal and regulatory framework to make it happen and establish a mutually beneficial North Sea grid to deliver a cleaner, fairer, more secure and more affordable energy future for British and European consumers.”
The countries attending today’s summit alongside the UK are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands
The new LionLink will carry 1.8GW of electricity, compared to Germany and Denmark’s Kassø-Frøslev (Kriegers Flag), which carries 0.4GW. It will be developed by National Grid Ventures and TenneT and will be operational by the early 2030s.
This builds on the 8.4GW interconnector capacity that the UK has – and LionLink alone will increase that by up to a fifth, meaning more clean and affordable power for UK homes and businesses.
This increased interconnectivity also means LionLink will be good both for the UK’s coastal communities and the environment by reducing the need for further onshore construction and visible infrastructure, as well as lessening the impact on the North Sea’s wildlife.
Britain’s world-class innovation, knowledge and skills within the North Sea energy sector is expected to bring £20 billion a year of investment to the UK’s coastal regions and create 40,000 skilled green jobs to Britain.
Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT, said: “It is our conviction that offshore hubs configured in a meshed DC grid must form the backbone of the North Sea powerhouse.
“This is a view that is increasingly shared, and for us, it is more than a vision of the future. In fact, we are already doing it by kicking off this ground-breaking LionLink project right now. It is a first step and a great opportunity to learn as the offshore grid takes shape.”
Minister Rob Jetten, Climate & Energy for the Netherlands: “With the North Sea becoming the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe, we are ready to expand the interconnection between the two countries. LionLink provides close to 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, enough to power 2 million households.
“This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe. Close collaboration on offshore wind energy and interconnection amongst the North Sea countries is imperative.
“So in case there is a surplus of wind generated electricity, it can be shared instantly to locations with a shortage of power, and vice versa.”
The Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Denmark today, which will ensure further collaboration on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable technologies –offshore wind, especially.
Reforms will ‘speed up the removal of people with no right to be here and enhance safeguards to protect unaccompanied children’
THE UK government has tabled a number of amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill to strengthen it further, ahead of it returning to Parliament next week – helping to deliver our priority of ‘stopping the boats’.
The amendments tabled this week will help to speed up the removal of people with no right to be here and enhance safeguards for unaccompanied children who cross the Channel in small boats.
Amendments also include a commitment to consult local authorities within three months of the bill becoming law to understand their capacity to support people coming to the UK through safe and legal routes, and to publish a report on existing, and any proposed additional safe and legal routes, within six months of the bill becoming law.
Together these will provide greater clarity and ensure progress on delivering our plans for safe and legal routes with an annual cap, agreed by Parliament, to ensure we are properly supporting people to rebuild their lives in the way communities would expect.
The UK will continue to play a world-leading role in protecting those in need who come to the country illegally. However, to tackle the abuse of the system which detracts from our ability to help those in need, further amendments are being made to ensure the UK can better protect its borders.
To speed up removals, amendments will make clear that the UK’s domestic courts cannot apply any interim measure to stop someone being removed if they bring forward a legal challenge, aside from in the narrow route available under the bill where they are at risk of serious and irreversible harm.
Instead, challenges would be heard remotely after the person concerned had been removed. This will ensure that someone would only be able to apply for a domestic injunction to prevent their removal if they were to face “serious and irreversible harm” in the country they were due to be removed to.
Amendments will also make clear that ministers may exercise discretion in relation to interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights, and set certain principles under which they would make a decision whether to comply or not.
Alongside the amendment, the government is having constructive discussions regarding reform to the Rule 39 process in Strasbourg, to support greater timeliness, accountability and representation in such cases.
Further amendments include:
giving immigration officers new powers to search for and seize electronic devices like mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally – to help them assess whether someone has the right to be in the UK
increasing protections around the safeguarding risk caused by adults pretending to be children, by bringing in new regulations that will see age-disputed people treated as an adult if they refuse to undergo a scientific age assessment.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British public are rightly fed up with people coming to the UK through dangerous small boat crossings, and myself and the Prime Minister are absolutely committed to stopping the boats once and for all.
“The changes I am announcing today will help secure our borders and make it easier for us to remove people by preventing them from making last minute, bogus claims, while ensuring we strengthen our safe and legal routes.
“My focus remains on ensuring this landmark piece of legislation does what it is intended to do, and we now must work to pass it through Parliament as soon as possible so we can stop the boats.”
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said: “It is not fair that people can pay criminal gangs thousands of pounds and pass through multiple safe countries to come to the UK illegally.
“The only way to break the business model of the evil people smugglers and secure our borders is to make sure that if people come to the UK illegally, they won’t be able to stay.
“These amendments will make it easier to swiftly remove individuals who come here illegally from safe countries, whilst re-affirming our commitment to help those directly from regions of conflict and instability.”
These new powers are part of further amendments tabled by the government yesterday to strengthen the ‘landmark’ Illegal Migration Bill, which will see people who come to the UK illegally in scope for detention and swift removal.
The amendments relating to safe and legal routes were laid by Tim Loughton MP, and measures to prevent UK courts from interfering to stop a removal were laid by Danny Kruger MP – the government will support these measures when the bill goes back to the House of Commons for report stage next week. The remaining measures have been tabled by the government.
Martyn Day MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.
We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
The petition, which has more than 137,000 signatures, states: “The benefits that were promised if the UK exited the European Union have not been delivered, so we call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry to assess the impact that Brexit has had on this country and its citizens.”
In its response to the petition, provided on 5 December 2022, the Government said: “The UK’s departure from the EU was a democratic choice and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe this to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry.”
What are petitions debates?
Petitions debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means MPs will not vote on whether to hold a public inquiry into the impact of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Petition debates are scheduled by the Petitions Committee. Only e-petitions started on the parliament petitions site are considered by the Petitions Committee.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech at Queen’s University in Belfast on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement will always be remembered as one of the most extraordinary political achievements of our lifetimes.
Because step by step, faltering at first, people on all sides began to do things that were once unthinkable, in the search for peace.
But you don’t need me to tell you that because many of you in this room created it.
It is humbling to be with you today.
And with the people of Northern Ireland, who have endured so much.
After three long decades where violence and terror were part of everyday life…
…a generation has grown up in a place that is vastly more peaceful, more prosperous, and more at ease with itself.
Of course, we meet here today in circumstances that are far from perfect.
But my argument today is this: the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement remains the best and only foundation for peace and prosperity.
And if we can take inspiration and instruction from the way peace was achieved 25 years ago… we can fulfil the true promise enshrined in that Agreement.
The promise of: Stable devolved government. A prosperous economy. And a more united society.
That’s the future for Northern Ireland we must build.
Now to do that, we must first ask why.
Why did peace talks succeed in 1998 when so many failed before?
I believe that’s because people on all sides showed courage, imagination, and perseverance.
First, those who worked for peace had the personal courage to keep going in spite of daily threats to them and their families.
And the political courage to take risks in pursuit of a higher goal.
John Hume, over his entire career, never relented in his insistence on non-violence.
David Trimble took enormous risks to do what he thought was right for the union.
And they were rightly honoured as the preeminent architects of peace, with a joint Nobel peace prize.
Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness persuaded Republicans to join a constitutional, power-sharing Assembly.
And, encouraged by the intensive efforts of Mo Mowlam, the leaders of loyalism also lent their weight behind the deal.
Female leaders from the Women for Peace and the Women’s Coalition worked so hard for peace.
And Bertie Ahern showed the wisdom and statecraft to see the historic opportunity.
At a critical moment, he recognised unionist concerns over the proposed North-South arrangements and stepped back.
Trimble himself, in his last public appearance, at this university, just weeks before he passed away…
… embraced his old counterpart and thanked Bertie for giving him the space to act.
These acts of courage were more powerful than a thousand bombs and bullets.
Because there is nothing glamorous about violence.
There is nothing glorious about terror.
Squalid acts are always justified with some false dream about what they will achieve.
But they have never worked – and they never will.
Instead, let us glorify moderation; romanticise respect; and make heroes of those with the courage to reject absolutes, not kill for them.
Second, making peace required leaps of imagination.
To conceive of a system for sharing power between traditions.
To design an agreement with three strands of equal importance…
To enshrine the principle of consent – so that Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom for as long as its people wish…
…while protecting the aspirations of those who seek a different future through peaceful means.
And for the first time…
…the people of North and South were both given the opportunity to support this deal…
…and they did so, in overwhelming majorities.
And let us never forget the crucial work after 1998 to build a broader consensus – helped by the leadership of Dr Ian Paisley.
Third, the peace took extraordinary perseverance.
In the aftermath of the Shankill bomb and Greysteel massacre in 1993, many thought the peace process was over…
…but just two months later John Major and Albert Reynolds delivered the Downing Street Declaration.
George Mitchell persuaded all parties to sign up to the principles of democracy and non-violence, without which the talks could not have begun.
In the difficult final hours, President Clinton’s timely interventions helped get the deal done.
And whenever people walked away, Tony Blair sought to bring them back…
…always committed, always attuned to the concerns of all parts of the community.
Together with Bertie Ahern, he showed us what’s possible when the UK and Irish governments work together…
…a partnership I know will continue alongside my friend, Leo Varadkar.
And in the spirit of perseverance, it’s also fitting to recognise the contribution of the security forces.
Like my predecessors, I acknowledge that at times they made mistakes.
But we must also recognise their bravery, suffering, and sacrifice – and that of the police.
Without their courageous service, there would have been no peace process at all.
They created the conditions that ultimately allowed their own presence on the streets to be reduced or entirely withdrawn.
So: courage, imagination, and perseverance. hose qualities brought an imperfect but enduring peace to a place taught to believe no such peace was possible.
So to all those who led us to that peace… including those here in this hall and those no longer with us… …let us take this moment to say to you: Thank you.
For those of us, like me, who inherit this extraordinary, even intimidating legacy…
…our challenge today is to fulfil the promise of the work that you began.
To honour your legacy, we need to create a more stable devolved government in Northern Ireland.
And that means getting the institutions up and running.
I believe there are two tasks.
First, to remove the biggest block to the institutions returning.
That’s why, when I came into office, I made it a priority to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol.
And we were deeply conscious of the lessons of history as we did so.
That’s why our aims were to:
Balance and respect the aspirations of all parts of the community.
Protect the relationships between East and West as much as North and South.
And persist through careful, detailed negotiation.
And I pay tribute to Ursula von der Leyen who I am so pleased to see here today.
The Windsor Framework is a breakthrough moment.
It solves practical problems and, crucially, strengthens Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and our UK internal market.
It gives the Assembly significant new powers – ready for when it sits again.
And I am confident we can build broad support for it across all communities.
So I share people’s frustration that the institutions are not back up and running.
But that points to our second task.
We must keep working to persuade all parts of the community that returning to the institutions is the best path.
And we will do that.
We will talk, we will listen, we will try to persuade – and we will not give up.
And I want to speak directly for a moment to the representatives of unionism…
…who include many diverse voices and whose concerns with the Protocol we have focused on addressing.
I urge you to work with us to get Stormont up and running again.
That’s the right thing to do on its own terms.
And I’m convinced that it’s also the right thing to do for our union.
I am a proud unionist.
We believe passionately that Northern Ireland is stronger within the UK…
…and the UK is stronger with Northern Ireland within it.
But we must also build support beyond those of us who already identify as unionists.
To do that, we have to show that devolved government within the United Kingdom works for Northern Ireland.
The fact that the institutions have been down for nine of the last 25 years should be a source of profound concern.
Over the long term that will not bolster the cause of unionism – I believe that deeply.
So we need to get the institutions up and running – and keep them up and running.
And let me also say to those who would seek to reform the institutions right now: I understand your frustrations.
But history reminds us that nothing in Northern Ireland has ever been achieved by trying to get round one community or another.
So any conversation about reform can only begin once the institutions are up and running again…
…and if it attracts widespread consent.
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement left us an extraordinary and precious legacy.
When we look back in 25 years from now…
…surely we should aspire for our legacy to be nothing less than this:
That the institutions have been up and running for every single year.
Because our focus must be on the future.
Getting the institutions back up and running is our most pressing challenge to honour your legacy.
But that’s only the beginning.
Together we must fulfil the true promise of the 1998 Agreement.
That future enshrined in the very words of the text – of “sustained economic growth”, and where we tackle the problems of “a divided society”.
I will give everything to help deliver that vision.
Because I talked earlier about learning the lessons from history.
One thing I took from George Mitchell is the idea that the agreement itself is only 20% of the task – the rest is delivery.
Once the Agreement was done, people asked of Tony Blair: Would he walk away?
He didn’t.
And neither will I.
Because there is work to be done.
So let me tell you what I’m going to do.
First, economic growth.
Progress has been remarkable – in April 1998, Northern Ireland had the highest unemployment rate in the UK.
Today – it’s the second lowest.
But we need to do more.
In 25 years, when we look back, I want to see that Northern Ireland has changed.
From an economy too reliant on the public sector…
To a thriving, dynamic economy built around the power and innovation of private enterprise.
I talk a lot about the idea of levelling up.
About making sure young people feel they can fulfil their dreams and aspirations in the place they call home.
That idea has particular resonance here in Northern Ireland.
And we won’t achieve it without a cascade of new investment – to create jobs and opportunity.
That journey has already begun.
Last week, President Biden came – and told the world to invest here.
He didn’t say that out of sentimentality.
He said it because he can see the opportunity for American businesses.
And because of the enormous potential of this place.
The potential of the people – resilient, ingenious, determined.
The potential of your businesses…
…with world-class strengths in cyber, life sciences, financial services, and the creative industries.
And one of Europe’s most thriving start-up scenes.
I know that journey to prosperity won’t be easy – and we aren’t there yet.
But this is my commitment to you:
I will use the full force of the UK Government…
…to help you make this one of the best places in the world…
…to start and grow a business, create jobs…
…train and learn new skills…
…and attract investment.
And just as we want to look back on a more prosperous, dynamic economy…
…so in 25 years, I also want us to look back on a more integrated and contented society.
Of course, we cannot simply wish away those social realities that have been present for decades.
The tragic loss of Lyra McKee and the attack on DCI John Caldwell remind us how far we still have to go.
But people are already voting with their feet in the choices they make for their children’s education and their social and sporting lives.
A growing body of the electorate does not define themselves solely as Unionist or Nationalist, British or Irish.
A growing portion of people sample life in a different part of these islands but still return.
And a growing number of local communities are signalling that their patience with thuggery is over.
But there’s yet more to do.
In 25 years’, should not the poisonous grip of the paramilitaries… those gangsters and drug dealers who wrap themselves in the fake cloak of legitimacy… be broken once and for all?
In 25 years’, should not a fragment of a peace wall be nothing more than a stop on the tourist trail?
In 25 years’, should integrated education not be the norm rather than the exception?
Of course, we won’t build that better future overnight. And it won’t be easy.
Every time I visit Northern Ireland, I feel more optimistic and hopeful.
Because to paraphrase the late David Trimble…
…there may be hills ahead of us, but there are mountains behind.
I want to close by reflecting on an extraordinary story.
Just weeks before the agreement, two lifelong friends, Damien Trainor and Philip Allen, were murdered at Poyntzpass.
One was a Protestant, the other Catholic.
The people who murdered them may have hoped to sow chaos and division and derail the peace talks.
They failed.
Because the story of this remarkable friendship inspired one of the most decisive breakthroughs of the whole peace process…
…the agreement to share power between equal first and deputy first ministers, in a co-premiership, with one from each community.
As Mark Durkan, the SDLP’s lead negotiator, said at the time: “The stories of Philip and Damien’s special friendship… could be a parable for the sort of society that we might create if we could reach agreement”.
And he was right.
That is the promise of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
