Northern Ireland

Peter Mandelson accuses British government of being 'ambivalent' towards Good Friday Agreement

Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson Peter Mandelson

Former Secretary of State Peter Mandelson has accused the government of being “ambivalent” towards the Good Friday Agreement.

Currently a life peer sitting in the House of Lords, he replaced Mo Mowlam in the Northern Ireland portfolio in 1999.

In his role during a critical time in the peace process he helped oversee the setting up of the power sharing executive and the reform of policing from the RUC to the PSNI.

As such he is considered among the most knowledgeable of those currently sitting in the Lords when it comes to Northern Ireland affairs.

Speaking to The Irish News yesterday, Lord Mandelson said Boris Johnson’s government “does not have a plan other than they don’t want the backstop”.

“Other than knowing what they don’t want I don’t believe they have any plan”, he said.

“Remember he (Boris Johnson) outright rejected the deal negotiated by his predecessor and then voted for it on the third time out.

“He’s already signed up to something he’s now set to reject”, he said

The Prime Minister speaking at a reception in Downing Street this week said he was committed to the Good Friday Agreement and claimed there were an “abundance” of alternatives to the backstop.

However, Lord Mandelson warned the current government are gambling with the peace treaty for an “ideology”.

“It is critical for the future of the Good Friday Agreement and the free movement of trade and of people that it is fully protected”, he said.

“All of this was enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement, it cannot be sacrificed for issues of ideology.

“Mr Johnson appears ambivalent towards that”.

During the Brexit referendum Lord Mandelson sat on the board of the official Remain campaign and is a supporter of a ‘People’s Vote’ in order to break the current deadlock.

A former European trade commissioner he has called for a second referendum on Britain's EU membership, saying what is currently on the table is not what people voted for in 2016.

Lord Mandelson said that no consideration was given to the complexities of the border in Northern Ireland during the referendum and that the current government still has little understanding of the issues.

“There isn’t just a lack of understanding about the complexities of Northern Ireland but no understanding of the most simple details”, he said.

“There was no appreciation of what was involved, so they have been on a steep learning curve.

“This Prime Minister appears to think that the Good Friday Agreement is incidental, dispensable an inconvenient truth getting in the way of what they want to achieve, which to bring about Brexit.

“That is their prime objective whatever the cost or consequences, but they need to be reminded and be mindful of their responsibility to uphold international treaties and that includes the Good Friday Agreement.

“He cannot just let that fall by the wayside,” Lord Mandelson added.