Latest news with #HilaryBenn
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Digital collection of oldest English-language daily paper News Letter now available
From today, copies from across three centuries of the title will be accessible to the public for the first time. First published in September 1737, the News Letter will mark its 288th anniversary as the oldest continuously published English-language daily paper this year. The Northern Ireland Office has worked in partnership with the British Library and Findmypast to expand the online collection of the historic publication on the British Newspaper Archive dating to the late 18th, early 19th and 20th centuries. Announcing the launch, Secretary of State Hilary Benn visited the British Library in London to view the new additions to the online archive. The British Library provided originals of the News Letter in microfilm and newspaper format, which were digitised by the online platform Findmypast. Mr Benn said: 'It was wonderful to be able to view the newly digitised editions of the Belfast News Letter at the British Library in London using the online archive. 'Bringing Northern Ireland's newspaper heritage to a global audience will encourage research, exploration and appreciation of Northern Ireland's rich political and cultural history. 'This UK Government project has opened up a unique resource to readers and researchers in nations around the world with historic links to Northern Ireland, including the US.' The archive is available online through the British Newspaper Archive and on Findmypast and can be viewed freely at the British Library sites in London and Yorkshire, as well as at any library or by any private individual around the world with a subscription. Lee Wilkinson, managing director of DC Thomson History, which owns Findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive, said: 'Over the past 15 years, through our unique relationship with the British Library, we have been able to bring millions of these key historical records to communities across the globe so that families and researchers alike can uncover and understand their heritage.' British Library chief Rebecca Lawrence said: 'Digitising all known surviving copies of the News Letter and making them available online preserves a vital piece of heritage and opens up the archive to researchers around the world.' National World founder David Montgomery said: 'Digitising the News Letter is an important step in preserving the paper's iconic history of covering news from Northern Ireland and across the world for three centuries. By making historic copies of the paper available, we can recognise its continuing role in delivering quality journalism on stories that matter to its community.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Voting: 16-year-olds talk about lowering the voting age
In two years' time, five students that spoke to BBC News NI at Belfast High School in County Antrim will turn 16, meaning they'll be able to get a job, donate blood or even join the armed 2027, they might also be counted among the first 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland who could be able to a prospect that excites some of them, like 14-year-old Bea, who said if young people are contributing to society they should get a say on who makes the rules."It would be amazing, 16-year-olds should have a say, especially if they are getting jobs." There's already been a long-running grassroots campaign to change the law in Northern Ireland, but things ramped up a gear when Labour made a promise in last year's election manifesto to reduce the voting age from 18 to Northern Ireland Assembly has twice supported a motion calling for the change - first in 2012 and then again last year, but without the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).Without full-party agreement at Stormont it remains in the hands of the Labour government at Westminster, which is already playing catch-up with governments in Scotland and Wales, where 16-year-olds can already April, Secretary of State Hilary Benn said the government was "absolutely committed" to changing the law in Northern Ireland, but couldn't give a timeframe."It's just about getting legislative time in parliament - politics is about the future and if you can be a company director at the age of 16 I think you should be able to vote," he said. 'Feel like a minority' That sentiment goes down well with fellow pupil, said: "It does get annoying when governments can make laws and we don't have any say, if the government changes the minimum wage I don't want to be trying to get a job at 16 and being paid little. "They think it's okay because we're younger but it makes you feel like you're in a minority." Alliance is among the parties at Stormont who want the voting age to be member Sian Mulholland said those against the move should realise that "the sky didn't fall in when they changed the law in Scotland"."It showed that young people were more likely to go on and vote in subsequent elections, it started and fostered a lifelong journey."But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)'s Deborah Erskine said there could be "unintended consequences" if the law is changed."I was always very politically in tune but my friends weren't when I was 16. Did I want to vote at 16? Probably not actually."This is not just about party political gain, we need to take a lot into consideration including schools in terms of the political nature and how that could manifest itself in debates." Rory can understand the arguments against change, adding: "16-year-olds don't need any more pressure, they already have a lot going on."If pressure can be minimised a lot of us probably would want to vote even if we don't know much about politics." Ethan feels lowering the voting age would mean schools could do more to engage with students about the basics of politics. "Schools set us up for life in a lot of aspects but the one it doesn't really is politics, they don't teach us that much about what voting is, I think this would encourage us as well to find out a bit more on our own." Sai would like to see schools bringing in politicians more regularly to explain their policies, as he thinks sometimes parties take younger people for granted."Telling us what they're trying to achieve and what they stand for would make a big difference to us when we might be voting, whether that's at 16 or 18 or later."Northern Ireland's Chief Electoral Officer David Marshall said it could be a number of years before any changes take effect."This would be the biggest change in voter registration age laws since franchise was changed in 1969 from 21 to 18; there are substantial changes required," he added that his office "stands ready" to support the government if it goes ahead to implement the for whether the students at Belfast High School stand ready to vote when they turn 16, their message to the politicians is: "Get it done."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Troubles veterans won't be forced to give evidence over killings in person
British veterans will not be forced to give evidence over Troubles killings in person, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has insisted. The Government has ditched an effective amnesty for Troubles-era killings, which would have prevented the prosecution of former soldiers. Hilary Benn said Labour had to scrap parts of the Conservatives' Legacy Act after it was struck down by domestic courts for breaking human rights laws that require deaths to be investigated. The Act included a conditional amnesty for Troubles-era killers, soldiers and terrorists alike if they gave information to the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The commission, which was set up to investigate deaths and promote reconciliation and has the power to summon witnesses, would then report back to families. Whistleblowers would be given effective immunity from later prosecution if they gave a truthful account of their involvement in the crimes. New civil cases and inquests into Troubles-era crimes were stopped on May 1 last year as part of the changes the Act brought in. Labour will 'repeal and replace' the Act, but plans to keep the commission to help victims' families get information, which means elderly veterans could be asked by it to give evidence. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Benn said there was 'no reason' why former soldiers should be forced to leave home. 'I know that giving evidence to the commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans,' he said. 'With today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence.' He promised veterans welfare support and, if appropriate, legal help before they spoke to the commission. Mr Benn admitted 'the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small'. The Troubles lasted for about 30 years, from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. More than 3,600 people were killed and there are more than 1,100 unsolved killings. Soldier F, a former paratrooper, is expected to go on trial in September charged with two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday in 1972. Conservatives accused the Government of introducing 'two-tier justice' in Northern Ireland with its changes to the Tories' 2023 Legacy Act. It ends protections from prosecution for veterans while putting IRA suspects interned in the Troubles, such as Gerry Adams, in line for taxpayer-funded compensation, they said. The Legacy Act was fiercely opposed by all the major parties in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein and the DUP said it would mean victims' families never get justice. The Irish government took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights in a case that remains active while Labour decides on new legislation. By Hilary Benn Our United Kingdom is today transformed from the place that, for three decades between the late 1960s and 1998, was scarred by terrorist violence. The Troubles tore Northern Ireland apart. And in the early 1970s, the IRA brought their campaign of terror to towns and cities across England. Throughout that terrible period, the professionalism, bravery and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and other security personnel helped to keep people across the United Kingdom safe and to protect life. In doing so, they ultimately helped to bring about peace. I have been honoured to meet with some of them. The Good Friday Agreement enshrined that peace. And alongside the promise of a better tomorrow, it also recognised the need to acknowledge and address the suffering of all those who had lost loved ones. And yet I have met many families who are still – decades on – seeking answers about what happened to their parent, grandparent, partner or child. I know that in many cases, their pain has been compounded by the last government's 2023 Legacy Act and the legal mess it created. That legislation was widely rejected at the time. And last year it was found – repeatedly – to be unlawful by our domestic courts. That was not least because it would have offered immunity from prosecution to terrorists, who were responsible for some 90 per cent of all Troubles-related deaths. Any incoming government would have had to repeal the immunity scheme and other unlawful provisions. It is wrong for any political party to suggest otherwise. That's why it has fallen to this Government to deal with this. We are committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables all those families to find answers. We will always recognise the extreme circumstances under which our Armed Forces were operating; the split-second judgments that had to be made, and the restraint that was so often required in the face of danger. There will be no rewriting of history. That also means that on those rare occasions where the standards that we rightly expect of our Armed Forces were not upheld, we do not shy away from this. The contrast could not have been starker between the efforts of our Armed Forces who were trying to protect life, and the actions of the terrorist organisations who only ever intended to harm others and cause destruction. And that is why during the Troubles, an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 republican and loyalist paramilitaries were imprisoned for a range of offences, including murder. Sadly, all these years later, the reality is that there are still over 1,100 unsolved killings, including over 200 where service personnel were killed by paramilitaries. Each and every one of these families deserves, as soon as possible, to have a system in place that they can have confidence in. That is why we are not starting again from scratch. Instead, we will retain and significantly reform the independent commission that was established under the Legacy Act, which is already taking forward over 50 investigations, including into the Guildford pub bombing. With the passage of time, the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small. Indeed, since 2012 there have been only six convictions for Troubles-related deaths, all but one of them of terrorists. This means that for a family approaching the legacy commission, obtaining information about what happened to their loved one will be the most likely outcome. I know that giving evidence to the Commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans. That is why we need to have better protections in place and I am working with the Defence Secretary on this. For instance, with today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence. This Government will also continue to support our veterans involved in these processes with welfare and, where appropriate, legal support. As we prepare new legislation, I will continue to discuss this, in all its complexity, with all interested parties. We owe it to those who were affected by the Troubles across the United Kingdom, including our Armed Forces community, to get this right. Hilary Benn is the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Benn ‘searching' for legal solution to prevent payouts to Troubles internees
The Northern Ireland Secretary has said he is still searching for a legal solution to prevent former Troubles internees such as Gerry Adams from seeking compensation. Hilary Benn promised to update MPs 'when we have found it' as he faced pressure from the Conservatives to bring forward legislation to 'clear this mess up once and for all'. In January, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged to look at 'every conceivable way' to stop people detained without trial during the Northern Ireland conflict from seeking payouts on a legal technicality over who signed the orders to incarcerate them. A Supreme Court judgment in 2020 paved the way for former Sinn Fein president Mr Adams to secure compensation over his internment without trial in the early 1970s. The UK Parliament responded by agreeing to measures in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act to stop such payouts to Mr Adams and other former internees. In February 2024, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the relevant provisions were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The current Labour Government opted not to appeal against that judgment and has tabled a remedial order in Parliament that would repeal various parts of the Act, including the sections linked to the payouts. Mr Benn told the Commons on Wednesday: 'This issue arose following the Supreme Court judgment in 2020 which found certain custody orders to be unlawful. 'The amendment to the Legacy Act to try and deal with it has also been found unlawful by the Northern Ireland courts so the Government is carefully exploring how to lawfully address this complex issue alongside our commitment to implement legacy mechanisms that are fully compliant with human rights and I will of course keep the House updated.' Conservative former minister Sir Desmond Swayne asked Mr Benn: 'Will he withhold the remedial order until he is certain that he can deliver the Prime Minister's pledge to prevent Gerry Adams receiving compensation?' Mr Benn replied: 'The Government is currently considering the report of the joint committee on human rights and representations that were made to it.' Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Alex Burghart said the previous Conservative government had appealed against the High Court judgment and questioned why Labour dropped it after they came into power. Mr Benn replied: 'The courts found that clauses 46 and 47 were unlawful and although the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal was not obviously asked to rule on that because we had withdrawn the appeal, it did comment unfavourably on those provisions. 'We supported clauses 46 and 47 at the time but they haven't worked and that's why we have to find an alternative way forward. 'I would just say to the House the main issue here is the Carltona principle, which the last government argued meant it was lawful for junior ministers to sign ICOs (interim custody orders), the amendment to try and deal with that failed and we need to find another way of reaffirming that principle – that's at the heart of this case.' Mr Burghart countered: 'The whole House will have heard the Secretary of State not give a reason for why the Government did not continue the appeal. Government lawyers told the last government there were grounds for appeal.' He asked again why the appeal was dropped, adding: 'And why hasn't the Government yet brought forward its own legislation to clear this mess up once and for all?' Mr Benn said the previous Tory administration 'couldn't find a legal solution' in almost three years, adding: 'I am committed to finding one and I promise I will update the House when we have found it.' Elsewhere in Northern Ireland questions, Conservative former minister Sir David Davis said 'hundreds of brave men' who served in the UK military 'face a sword of Damocles of politically motivated trials hanging over them'. He said: 'I can think of no better example of two-tier justice. 'Whatever the Government does, it has to take that away and do so in a way that cannot be circumvented by clever, politically motivated lawyers. Will he give the House an undertaking he will do that?' Mr Benn replied: 'I agree with what the former defence secretary (Sir Ben Wallace) said in 2019. He said 'the British Army upholds British values, which is the rule of law, and that's what we stand for'. 'I would just caution, if I may, (him) to be a little bit careful about using the phrase 'politically motivated prosecutions'. Because let us be clear, decisions about any prosecutions in any cases are taken by the independent public prosecution service, which is entirely separate from the executive.' Conservative frontbencher Mike Wood asked what Labour's plans were for repealing the Legacy Act. In response to DUP leader Gavin Robinson, Mr Benn said he would inform MPs of proposals in 'due course'.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Troubles veterans won't be forced to give evidence over killings in person
British veterans will not be forced to give evidence over Troubles killings in person, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has insisted. The Government has ditched an effective amnesty for Troubles-era killings, which would have prevented the prosecution of former soldiers. Hilary Benn said Labour had to scrap parts of the Conservatives' Legacy Act after it was struck down by domestic courts for breaking human rights laws that require deaths to be investigated. The Act included a conditional amnesty for Troubles-era killers, soldiers and terrorists alike if they gave information to the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The commission, which was set up to investigate deaths and promote reconciliation and has the power to summon witnesses, would then report back to families. Whistleblowers would be given effective immunity from later prosecution if they gave a truthful account of their involvement in the crimes. New civil cases and inquests into Troubles-era crimes were stopped on May 1 last year as part of the changes the Act brought in. Labour will 'repeal and replace' the Act, but plans to keep the commission to help victims' families get information, which means elderly veterans could be asked by it to give evidence. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Benn said there was 'no reason' why former soldiers should be forced to leave home. 'I know that giving evidence to the commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans,' he said. 'With today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence.' He promised veterans welfare support and, if appropriate, legal help before they spoke to the commission. Mr Benn admitted 'the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small'. The Troubles lasted for about 30 years, from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. More than 3,600 people were killed and there are more than 1,100 unsolved killings. Soldier F, a former paratrooper, is expected to go on trial in September charged with two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday in 1972. Conservatives accused the Government of introducing 'two-tier justice' in Northern Ireland with its changes to the Tories' 2023 Legacy Act. It ends protections from prosecution for veterans while putting IRA suspects interned in the Troubles, such as Gerry Adams, in line for taxpayer-funded compensation, they said. The Legacy Act was fiercely opposed by all the major parties in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein and the DUP said it would mean victims' families never get justice. The Irish government took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights in a case that remains active while Labour decides on new legislation. We owe it to those affected by the Troubles to get it right By Hilary Benn Our United Kingdom is today transformed from the place that, for three decades between the late 1960s and 1998, was scarred by terrorist violence. The Troubles tore Northern Ireland apart. And in the early 1970s, the IRA brought their campaign of terror to towns and cities across England. Throughout that terrible period, the professionalism, bravery and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and other security personnel helped to keep people across the United Kingdom safe and to protect life. In doing so, they ultimately helped to bring about peace. I have been honoured to meet with some of them. The Good Friday Agreement enshrined that peace. And alongside the promise of a better tomorrow, it also recognised the need to acknowledge and address the suffering of all those who had lost loved ones. And yet I have met many families who are still – decades on – seeking answers about what happened to their parent, grandparent, partner or child. I know that in many cases, their pain has been compounded by the last government's 2023 Legacy Act and the legal mess it created. That legislation was widely rejected at the time. And last year it was found – repeatedly – to be unlawful by our domestic courts. That was not least because it would have offered immunity from prosecution to terrorists, who were responsible for some 90 per cent of all Troubles-related deaths. Any incoming government would have had to repeal the immunity scheme and other unlawful provisions. It is wrong for any political party to suggest otherwise. That's why it has fallen to this Government to deal with this. We are committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables all those families to find answers. We will always recognise the extreme circumstances under which our Armed Forces were operating; the split-second judgments that had to be made, and the restraint that was so often required in the face of danger. There will be no rewriting of history. That also means that on those rare occasions where the standards that we rightly expect of our Armed Forces were not upheld, we do not shy away from this. The contrast could not have been starker between the efforts of our Armed Forces who were trying to protect life, and the actions of the terrorist organisations who only ever intended to harm others and cause destruction. And that is why during the Troubles, an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 republican and loyalist paramilitaries were imprisoned for a range of offences, including murder. Sadly, all these years later, the reality is that there are still over 1,100 unsolved killings, including over 200 where service personnel were killed by paramilitaries. Each and every one of these families deserves, as soon as possible, to have a system in place that they can have confidence in. That is why we are not starting again from scratch. Instead, we will retain and significantly reform the independent commission that was established under the Legacy Act, which is already taking forward over 50 investigations, including into the Guildford pub bombing. With the passage of time, the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small. Indeed, since 2012 there have been only six convictions for Troubles-related deaths, all but one of them of terrorists. This means that for a family approaching the legacy commission, obtaining information about what happened to their loved one will be the most likely outcome. I know that giving evidence to the Commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans. That is why we need to have better protections in place and I am working with the Defence Secretary on this. For instance, with today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence. This Government will also continue to support our veterans involved in these processes with welfare and, where appropriate, legal support. As we prepare new legislation, I will continue to discuss this, in all its complexity, with all interested parties. We owe it to those who were affected by the Troubles across the United Kingdom, including our Armed Forces community, to get this right.
