Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologised for the British state’s role in forced adoptions that separated an estimated 185,000 babies from unmarried mothers. The government announced £4 million for record access, reunion services, support groups and research, but no compensation scheme.
Posts tagged as “the Republic of Ireland”
Police used a water cannon in Northern Ireland after a second night of unrest linked to a Belfast knife attack. The victim’s family appealed for peaceful protest and warned against using the attack to fuel hostility toward migrants.
President Joe Biden is set to embark on a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The trip is part homecoming, part statecraft and part politics, as Biden has a deeply felt personal history with the country. He will deliver remarks at Ulster University to highlight the progress since the signing of the peace agreement in 1998 and trace his family history in the country. Biden's trip is an intersection of his personal history and his view of international relations, and is expected to be a meaningful and memorable journey.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reached a new deal on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, which requires the region to follow some EU rules while still remaining part of the UK. The agreement has been welcomed by the EU and the UK government, and is seen as a major breakthrough in the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU. Sunak now faces the challenge of selling the deal to his own party, while also ensuring it is accepted by the EU.