Letter to New British PM re: Northern Ireland Troubles Act
Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA) is circulating the below letter to UK PM Keir Starmer, asking for repeal of the Legacy Act. Please email and/or call your Congresswoman/man and ask them to sign onto this.
Sending Office: Honorable Brendan F. Boyle
Sent By: Gianluca.Nigro@mail.house.gov
Letter to new British Prime Minister re: Northern Ireland Troubles Act
Deadline: Thursday, July 11 at COB
Current Cosigners (x): Boyle*, Ritchie Torres,
Dear Colleague:
I invite you to join me in sending a letter to the recently elected Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer, urging his government to adhere to plans to quickly repeal and replace the troubling Northern Ireland Troubles Act. The Troubles Act, which became law in 2023, has denied justice to families across all communities in Northern Ireland who were impacted by violence during the Troubles.
Prior to being elected PM, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party’s made the following promise about the Troubles Act in their 2024 General Election manifesto, “The Legacy Act denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles. Labour will repeal and replace it, by returning to the principles of the Stormont House Agreement, and seeking support from all communities in Northern Ireland.”
In response to this unprecedented law, the Irish government launched an Inter-State application against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
If you would like to cosign the letter, please do so using this Quill link. If you have any questions, please reach out to Gianluca Nigro (Gianluca.Nigro@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Boyle’s office.
Sincerely,
Brendan F. Boyle
Member of Congress
Dear Prime Minister,
We wish to offer our sincere congratulations on your recent election as Prime Minister and the broad success of the Labour Party during the July 4th election. As you assume this critical role at a consequential moment in Europe’s history, we look forward to working with your government to strengthen the relationship between our two nations and improve the lives of our citizens.
We were pleased to see that in the Labour Party’s 2024 General Election manifesto released in June, you committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, “Legacy Act.” In that manifesto, it is written, “The Legacy Act denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles. Labour will repeal and replace it, by returning to the principles of the Stormont House Agreement, and seeking support from all communities in Northern Ireland.” We could not agree more.
This law severely undermines the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement, the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland. As Members of Congress who understand and respect the pivotal role that the United States played in coming to this Agreement, we feel compelled to voice our strong support that your government remains committed to swiftly repealing and replacing the Legacy Act.
Since its passage in 2023, justice has been denied to families across all communities in Northern Ireland who were impacted by violence during the Troubles. The Labour Party’s 2024 General Election manifesto acknowledges this damage and the disservice to victims and their families this law has caused. Those that participated in violence during the Troubles must be held accountable. We urge your government to restore genuine paths to justice for the number of outstanding cases where evidence and potential criminal liability remains. Victims and their families, from all communities, still deserve justice.
Prime Minister Starmer, once again, congratulations on your election. We are hopeful that new leadership in Westminster will return to the values agreed upon in the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement and ensure victims of violence from the Troubles receive justice and perpetrators of crimes committed during the Troubles are held accountable. We look forward to working with you and commit to supporting this effort in any way we can.
