Irish Labour Leader to meet with UK colleagues on Brexit

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD will visit London on Thursday 14th June to meet with prominent members of the UK Labour Party and Trade Union movement, including the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Sir Keir Starmer MP; the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Tony Lloyd MP and Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress.

Deputy Howlin will outline Labour’s concerns on the direction of the Brexit negotiations, and will be making the case for the UK to remain as close as possible to the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, while also preserving the hard-won social protections of workers that have been achieved through the European project. Deputy Howlin will also be advocating for the shared rights of British and Irish citizens under the Common Travel Area to be preserved, including the rights of Irish people to reside, work, vote and access public services in the UK.

Deputy Howlin will also speak at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement hosted by the UK Labour Party Irish Society (LPIS).

Honorary Vice President of the LPIS, Conor McGinn MP for St Helens North said:

“Brendan’s visit underlines the closeness of the relationship between Ireland and Britain and our respective Labour movements. He is great friend to the Irish community in Britain and a highly respected figure in Westminster.

“His is an important voice in the ongoing discussions within the Labour Party about Brexit and so I’m particularly delighted that he is in London this week when we are debating these issues in Parliament.

“Brendan and the Labour Party in Ireland are also strong supporters of extending equal marriage to Northern Ireland and I’m looking forward to talking to him about how he can continue to help our Love Equality campaign.”

ENDS

Itinerary and Notes to Editors
11.30am Meeting with Scottish and Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party members.
1pm Meeting with Sir Keir Starmer MP and Tony Lloyd MP.
2.30pm Meeting with Open Britain
4pm Meeting with Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, British Trades Union Congress.
7pm Speech to Labour Party Irish Society meeting on ‘Celebrating and Defending the Good Friday Agreement’.

The Labour Party Irish Society will mark the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with a meeting on the theme of ‘Celebrating and Defending the Good Friday Agreement’ at 7pm in the Macmillan Room, Portcullis House, Westminster. Other speakers include Mark Durkan, former Leader of the SDLP; and Tony Lloyd MP.