Labour Party Conference at Brighton

 

As Chair of the International Affairs Unit, I attended the Labour Party Annual Conference in Brighton in September. It was fresh and it was loud. I constantly heard people saying “this is my first conference”, a reflection of how much the party membership has grown in recent years.

Of course, there were still many familiar and friendly faces, particularly from the Labour Party Irish Society (LPIS). We’ve worked closely together on various campaigns and over the years myself and other Irish members have crossed the sea to join with the LPIS to canvas for candidates such as Ken Livingstone, John McDonnell and Catherine West. In turn, LPIS members have done likewise. For instance, former LPIS Chair Conor McGinn, now Labour MP for St Helens, canvassed for me in Slane in 2011.

This year the topic on everyone’s lips was Brexit. Brendan Howlin gave a number of well-received speeches about its impact on Ireland, including a barnstorming one at the LPIS Reception.

The LPIS also arranged a session specifically on Ireland and Brexit. I joined a list of speakers which included SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood and the MP Owen Smith. Owen ran in the leadership election last year and afterwards took on the role as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The Chair of LPIS, Rita Connelly, whose family hails from Clonbur in Galway, asked us to bring solutions to the table, not just problems. I was able to tell them how we have suggested a number of ideas for our government to progress, including an early warning system to identify firms at particular risk and a Trade Adjustment Fund.  I also outlined how Brendan had called for rule changes to the Globalisation Adjustment Fund, to allow workers to be re-skilled.

In relation to Northern Ireland, the panel spoke as one about our concerns of how a hard Brexit would impact on the stability and ongoing implementation of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and on how the border will operate.

As a previous Chair of the GFA Committee in Leinster House I explained our particular concerns, and brought up the issue of how we protect and expand the role of the cross-border implementation bodies, such as Waterways Ireland and the Loughs Agency. I also made the point that we must secure a guarantee of PEACE funding, CAP payments and Structural and Investment Funds.

I made the point that I could not see how we could avoid a border if the UK withdraws from the Customs Union. I referenced the BSE crisis and the Foot and Mouth outbreak, when we had to close the border to prevent smuggling, saying that we’d likely have to do the same thing again to ensure that smugglers did not exploit tariff or standard differentials.

The event was attended by MPs and many members of the LPIS, including Hackney Councillor Sally Mulready (who was appointed by President Higgins to the Council of State).  Also in the audience were staff from our Embassy in London.

The key message I took away from Brighton is that the debate about Brext is alive and vibrant within the Party. Many members are on the same page as us in relation to their fears and concerns. However, there are others who are not as concerned about Brexit, and indeed some see it as an opportunity for the UK. The debate is set to continue for the next 18 months. As a party we need to work with the LPIS and others to ensure that Ireland’s concerns are at the forefront of the negotiations.