Doug Beattie MC MLA, the Ulster Unionist Party's (UUP) Justice spokesperson, has strongly criticised the anticipated outcome of today's meeting between the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, and the main political parties. Beattie stated that the UUP expects a commitment to repeal and replace the controversial Legacy Act with something acceptable to the Irish Government and a "section of victims".

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 aims to address the legacy of the Troubles by establishing an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, limiting criminal investigations, legal proceedings, and inquests, and extending the prisoner release scheme. However, it has faced widespread opposition, including from all major political parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government, primarily due to its conditional amnesty provisions and the perceived curtailment of routes to justice for victims. The Irish Government has also launched an inter-state legal challenge against the UK over the Act. While the UUP supports putting victims at the heart of any process, Beattie stressed that they "do not support a hierarchy of victims." He accused the UK Government of allowing the Irish Government to "set the agenda on legacy," claiming the Northern Ireland Office is "rolling over to their demands."

Beattie called for the UK Government to take a stronger stance and demand that the Irish Government establish its own legacy mechanisms for Troubles-related incidents, particularly those that occurred across the border. He specifically mentioned the Omagh bombing, "multiple cross-border attacks against UK citizens," and the "hundreds of victims from the Provisional IRA border campaign."

"It is time Hilary Benn MP started representing all victims, it's time the UK Government grew a backbone and held the Irish Government to account," Beattie concluded, highlighting a perceived imbalance in the approach to legacy issues.

Hilary Benn was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on July 5, 2024. He is a Labour MP for Leeds South. While the specific agenda for today's meeting with political parties has not been fully disclosed, legacy issues are consistently a key topic of discussion between the UK government, the Irish government, and Northern Ireland's political leaders.