Paul Hosford: Taoiseach's hope for Anglo-Irish relationship to be put to the test

The shape of the neighbourly relationship has been scarred for the best part of a decade by not just Britain’s vote to leave the EU, but by a stream of indifference or hostility, writes Paul Hosford

Taoiseach Simon Harris spoke of his hope for Britain’s future relationship with Ireland, after Keir Starmer’s Labour Party won the British general election by a landslide earlier in the week. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A great reset.

That is how Taoiseach Simon Harris characterised his hopes for the Anglo-Irish relationship, in the wake of Keir Starmer’s Labour landslide washing away 14 years of Tory rule.

In an early morning statement at Government Buildings, Mr Harris spoke of a new day.

After eight years of a messy Brexit dominating the Anglo-Irish relationship, after the apathy and ignorance of previous leaders of Britain, Ireland hopes to have a partner more than a neighbour who insists on tearing up the housing estate every few months.

Speaking as he congratulated Mr Starmer, Mr Harris struck the chord of renewal, of hope, and of partnership.

“Today is about looking forward and realising the full potential of that relationship between Taoiseach and prime minister, and between our governments,” Mr Harris said.

Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength. It is time for a great reset

Mr Harris made the point that, in the Labour Party manifesto, the language towards Ireland was “language of partnership and co-guarantors of our shared peace”.

The shape of the neighbourly relationship has been scarred for the best part of a decade by not just Britain’s vote to leave the EU, but by a stream of indifference or hostility from Britain’s leadership and officialdom, and from a trust on the Irish side that eroded quicker than Conservative majorities across the Red Wall.

After the Brexit vote in 2016, Enda Kenny was keen to say that the Irish relationship with its neighbour over the water would be considered, but that he hoped it would remain strong.

Years of haggling, arguing, and negotiating over the various incarnations of Britain’s withdrawal — backstop, protocol, Windsor Framework et al — have done little to make Mr Kenny right, as Northern Ireland was offered up as a handy piece of red meat to increasingly eurosceptic Tories who began to eat their own with alarming abandon.

Keir Starmer has been described as 'the most Irish Englishman', and spent many years as a human rights advisor to the PSNI.

The Irish Government was cast as a villain for the crime of looking out for Irish people and the security of this island.

In 2018, the comedian Andrew Maxwell hit on the Irish-English relationship — succinctly characterising the indifference that comes from across the water.

“[I]t’s just consternation, confusion. Generally, most Irish people get all-British TV and all British media. We know way more about Britain than they know about Ireland. It’s like a valve that flows in one direction.

People can be having their dinner right now watching this in Ireland, but nobody in Britain knows Ireland

The truth is that relationships between larger and smaller neighbours generally cuts that way, and it is absolutely fine if the person on the street in Hull or Norwich or Plymouth isn’t au fait with Irish politics or culture.

However, for their leaders to show such disregard for Irish perspectives was both bizarre and self-defeating.

In his early morning statement, Mr Harris spoke of the closeness of the two people and and of how there is now a hope.

“In Ireland, there is now hope. We will work to make the Taoiseach-prime minister relationship not only what it should be but what it could be.

“Ireland and the UK are not only neighbours, we are independent nations that are intertwined in history and in culture.

In many, many instances, we are family

“We have never forgotten that, not for one moment, no matter what challenges came our way,” he added.

Mr Starmer has been described as “the most Irish Englishman”, and spent many years as a human rights advisor to the PSNI.

There are multiple indicators that he understands and appreciates the Irish perspective. The optimism within the halls of power in Dublin is not without foundation.

However, the test of the Irish relationship with Britain has never been words or appreciation. The test of whether this is a new dawn in relations will come in the weeks and months ahead.