Perfidious Albion

On the 7th of July 2022, Boris Johnson announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister. His repeated lies and scandals finally became too much for his party to bear, triggering an onslaught of resignations from the British Government (57 MPs in total) as power-hungry Tories pursued their own political self-interest. The predictable scramble to replace Boris ensued, and the eleven wannabe Prime Ministers who put themselves forward as candidates have now been whittled down to two, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. While the other candidates were voted out by fellow Tory MPs, the decision regarding whom to elect Prime Minister lies in the hands of 160,000 or so Tory party members (approximately 0.3% of the British electorate).

Due to partition, the outcome of the Tory leadership election has a direct impact on citizens living in the north of Ireland and a wider impact upon the whole island. This article will analyse the positions and policies of the two remaining candidates on some of the major issues and their implications for Ireland.

The Protocol Bill

The proposed legislation that would grant British Ministers sweeping powers to unilaterally disapply parts of the Protocol (and therefore violate international law) was introduced to Westminster on the 13th of June 2022 by none other than the British Foreign Secretary and leadership candidate, Liz Truss. The Protocol was negotiated and agreed by the British Government and European Union (EU) in order to prevent a hard border in Ireland and protect the Good Friday Agreement. Since the Protocol came into effect, the British Government has tried to renege on its commitments. Instead of negotiating with the EU in good faith, the British Government has pandered to the DUP, rewarding their boycott of Stormont and dangerously disrupting the political process in the North.

On the 21st of July, the Bill underwent its first reading in the House of Lords, having been rushed through the Commons relatively unscathed. Since the legislation was introduced under Johnson’s premiership, it is worth assessing how a change in Prime Minister may impact the trajectory of the Bill, if at all.

Liz Truss

As previously mentioned, the Protocol Bill was brought forward by Liz Truss in her role as Foreign Secretary. Despite having campaigned to remain within the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum, Truss has consistently demonstrated her Brexiteer credentials over the last six years. Given Truss’s close ties to the hard-right European Research Group (ERG) of her parliamentary party, and the fact that the Protocol Bill is her brainchild, it seems unlikely that the British Government will alter course from its reckless and myopic trajectory under her leadership.

Rishi Sunak

Sunak claims to have voted in favour of Brexit back in 2016. Since then, he has repeatedly backed pro-Brexit policies in Westminster. He abstained from the vote during the second reading of the Protocol Bill in the House of Commons, however he recently voted in favour of the Bill during its third reading. Rightly or wrongly, Sunak is seen as more pragmatic and less ideologically wedded to Brexit than Truss, suggesting that he may be more likely to work constructively with the EU to find an agreed solution and potentially drop the Protocol Bill. How the DUP would respond to such a development is another question entirely.

The Amnesty Bill

The Amnesty Bill was introduced to Westminster by the then-Secretary of State Brandon Lewis. This legislation would effectively grant immunity from criminal investigations, legal proceedings, and inquests to individuals involved in the conflict, in exchange for information. This Bill has been pushed particularly hard by the pro-military fanatics of the Tory party, such as the former British Army officer and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer. It is not difficult to see why. Victims of British state violence and their families have campaigned for decades for truth and justice, facing down a massive campaign of opposition and obfuscation from the British Ministry of Defence. Many of them are now on the cusp of securing inquests or legal proceedings against the British Army. The British Government is therefore desperate to shut down any such judicial action which would shine a light on the ugly truth of their dirty war in Ireland: torture, summary executions, and widespread collusion with loyalist death squads.

The Bill is universally opposed by human rights groups, victims’ organisations, and political parties across Ireland, particularly Sinn Féin. Despite this, the British Government as has sickeningly attempted to portray the legislation as serving the interests of victims, drawing a line under the past and enabling closure. Such rhetoric could not be further from the truth.

The Amnesty Bill underwent its first reading in the House of Commons on the 17th of May and is currently scheduled for its second reading in the House of Lords on the 13th of September, after the summer recess. Where do the two Tory leadership candidates stand on this issue?

Liz Truss

Truss voted in favour of the Amnesty Bill on the second reading but not on its third, when she abstained. This likely had more to do with her political ambitions to succeeded Boris Johnson as Prime Minister than any principled objection to the Bill. Truss has been relatively quiet on the issue of legacy over the years, making it difficult to predict whether she would continue with the British Government’s plans in their current form.

Rishi Sunak

Sunak abstained from voting on the Amnesty Bill at both its second and third readings in the House of Commons. Once again, this probably had more to do with political ambition than principles. However, going by voting record alone, it would appear that Sunak is less committed to this shameful legislation than Truss. Unfortunately, the significant degree of support for the Amnesty Bill within the Tory party, which still holds a considerable parliamentary majority, means neither candidate is likely to change course early in their premiership.

Abortion Reform

On the 31st of March 2020, legislation tabled in Westminster during the absence of the Stormont Executive came into effect, decriminalising abortion in the north of Ireland. This legislation overrode the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act which still applied in the North at the time. This act made it virtually impossible for women, girls, and other pregnant people to legally access abortion services at home, forcing them to travel to Britain or further afield for reproductive healthcare.

Despite abortion being decriminalised, the commissioning of services across the North has progressed very little. The Minister for Health in Stormont, Robin Swann of the UUP, has dragged his feet and delayed implementing abortion services. This remains the case despite the High Court ruling in February of this year that Swann has the legal authority to direct the establishment of abortion services, demonstrating that his inaction is politically motivated. The previous Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, had made promises to implement services directly however he has since been replaced by Shailesh Vara. It’s highly unlikely that Vara will take any such action until a new Prime Minister is in office in September. The focus therefore turns to the two Tory leadership candidates and where they stand on this issue.

Liz Truss

Truss largely voted in favour of introducing abortion services in the North, but she recently abstained on a vote giving the Secretary of State further powers to instruct the commissioning of abortion services. There is little-to-no political risk for Truss to facilitate the rollout of abortion services, indeed it may win her some favour with her own electorate, so it seems likely that she would not obstruct progress on this matter as Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak

Sunak voted in favour of the Bill to grant the Secretary of State powers to instruct the commissioning of abortion services in the North. However, he later abstained on a vote to remove the requirement for Stormont’s Department of Health to seek the approval of the Executive to commission the services. Like Truss, it would appear that Sunak has more to gain than lose by enabling progress on this issue.

Parting Words

As republicans, we look forward to the day when it is of no concern to the people of Ireland who holds power in Westminster. However, while the last, rusting chains of the British Empire remain fastened to the Six Counties, the machinations of Perfidious Albion will continue to have a direct impact upon people and communities in Ireland. We must work every day to sever those chains forever and build a new Ireland that is united, Gaelic, and free.

le Cormac Ó Beaglaoich