Northern Ireland

London Agreement Ends Irish Boundary Commission and Lifts Free State Share of UK Debt - On This Day in 1925

Stanley Baldwin announces a deal that revokes the Boundary Commission’s powers, fixes Northern Ireland’s borders, transfers key powers to Belfast and frees the Irish Free State from its Treaty debt obligations

The latest Covid-19 inquiry report concluded that the political response in Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, was ‘a repeated case of too little, too late’
The latest Covid-19 inquiry report concluded that the political response in Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, was ‘a repeated case of too little, too late’
By Cormac Moore

December 4 1925

At Westminster last night, Mr [Stanley] Baldwin, Prime Minister, announced that an agreement had been reached on the Irish Boundary question, the exact terms of which he read, as follows: -

Commission’s powers revoked.

(1) The powers conferred by the proviso to Article 12 of the said Articles of Agreement [1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty] on the Commission therein mentioned are hereby revoked, and the extent of Northern Ireland for the purposes of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, and of the said Articles of Agreement shall be such as fixed by Subsection 2 of Section 1 of that Act.

Article 5 abrogated.

(2) The Irish Free State is hereby released from the obligation under Article 5 of the said Articles of Agreement to assume the liability therein mentioned.

Free State to pay for damage since January 21, 1919.

(3) The Irish Free State hereby assumes all liability undertaken by the British Government in respect of malicious damage done since 21st day of January, 1919, to property in the area now under the jurisdiction of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State, and the Government of the Irish Free State shall repay to the British Government at such time or times and in such manner as may be agreed upon, moneys already paid by the British Government in respect of such damage or liable to be so paid under obligations already incurred.

10 per cent more for damage between July, 1921, and May, 1923.

(4) The Government of the Irish Free State hereby agrees to promote legislation increasing by 10 per cent the measure of compensation under the Damage of Property (Compensation) Act, 1923, in respect of malicious injury to property done in the area under the jurisdiction of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State between the 11th day of July, 1921, and the 12th day of May, 1923, and providing for the payment of such additional compensation by the issue of five per cent compensation stock or bonds.

Council of Ireland powers transferred to North.

(5) The powers in relation to Northern Ireland which by the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, are made powers of the Council of Ireland shall be, and are hereby, transferred to, and shall become powers of, the Parliament and the Government of Northern Ireland; and the Governments of the Irish Free State and of Northern Ireland shall meet together, as and when necessary, for the purpose of considering matters of common interest arising out of, or connected with, the exercise and administration of the said powers.

On 3 December 1925, the tripartite or London Agreement was signed which left the border unchanged and the Free State’s financial commitments towards the UK’s national debt were waived.