First of all, my thanks to everyone who supported me in the recent general election.It is a great honour and a privilege to have been re-elected as your MP – on this occasion for the new constituency of Leeds South – but whether you voted for me, voted for another candidate and or did not vote at all, I am here to represent all of you. And if you need my help, then please get in touch by emailing me at: hilary.benn.mp@parliament.uk or by phoning (0113) 244 1097. It is really helpful if you can give us your residential address and postcode so we can be sure that you are a constituent.
Well, it’s been quite a busy time what with the general election campaign and the formation of a new government. And in my case, new responsibilities following my appointment to the Cabinet as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Like any new job, there are lots of things to learn and people to meet, and it helps a great deal that I am fortunate to be working with such wonderfully committed and knowledgeable civil servants.
When I was growing up, the news from Northern Ireland was almost entirely about explosions and killings. I remember the night I heard an IRA bomb go off in London. I was convinced it was in the local high street, so I got dressed and went down there only to discover it was some two miles away.
If someone had tapped me on the shoulder at that moment and told me that one day the Reverend Ian Paisley – of ‘No Surrender’ fame – and Martin McGuinness – a former member of the Provisional IRA – would one day sit side by side in a power sharing government as First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, I would probably have replied “I would love to see that happen, but I fear I won’t live long enough”.
Well, I did. We did. And for the last 26 years a peace has come to Northern Ireland that would have been unimaginable in the generation before. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement was proof of the power of courageous political leadership and a willingness to compromise.
That said, Northern Ireland remains traumatised by its past, and dealing with the legacy of the Troubles continues. Many families who lost loved ones still do not know to this day exactly what happened. One of my responsibilities is to find a means of answering their questions in a way that can command support from all communities.
On the positive side, there is a dynamism to Northern Ireland’s economy, with particular strengths in aerospace, life sciences, manufacturing and film and television production (Game of Thrones, Blue Lights, Line of Duty and Derry Girls to name just a few).
When it comes to politics, since devolved government began nearly a quarter of a century ago, Northern Ireland has been without a functioning government for about a third of that time. This has been a product of the power sharing arrangements which mean that unionists and nationalists have to be in government together, and if one side or the other walks out then the Executive collapses.
When this happens, decisions don’t get taken. So, now that power-sharing has thankfully been restored once again, what Northern Ireland needs now more than anything else is continued political stability – government that lasts and takes responsibility for the people it represents.
The brutal and shocking murder of three young girls in Southport and the rioting that followed has indelibly marked this summer and should bring shame on those involved.
What those rioters did had nothing to do with the young lives that had been lost, and everything to do with directing hatred and violence at one part of our community. A few days after the worst of the violence in Belfast, I met three owners of businesses that has been targeted simply because of their race. They had been terrified by what happened, and they couldn’t understand why anyone would want to destroy the businesses that they had worked so hard to establish.
A couple of weeks later, I visited their premises which had been attacked to see how they were getting on. It’s been hard – one man’s café had been burnt out – but they are determined to carry on with support from many local people.
The responsibility on all of us is to call this out for what it was – racist violence. Everyone is entitled to their views, and everyone is entitled to protest peacefully. But rioting can never be part of a democratic society.
And finally, the other day I was going through the post, and I came across an envelope that had a note attached to it, which said that the package had been subject to additional security screening because of its contents. Sadly, we cannot be too careful these days and as elected representatives, we really appreciate the efforts those who work so hard to keep us safe.
Opening the envelope, I discovered that the two items that had raised suspicions were in fact a biscuit and a Yorkshire Tea teabag sent to me with a nice letter by a Leeds campaigning organisation. I had a pleasant cup of tea to mark the occasion.
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper which have doubled in the last two years.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
