His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Lord Morrow Excerpts

Monday 12th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Morrow (DUP) [V]]

My Lords, in a speech marking her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Her Majesty the Queen described her husband as her constant strength and guide. There is no doubt that he has made an immeasurable contribution to our monarchy and our nation. Prince Philip has been that source of strength as a husband for nearly 75 years and, for nearly 70 years, the longest-serving consort to a British monarch. He was forthright, intelligent and forward-thinking, serving as patron to some 800 organisations and leaving his most lasting legacy through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, something which has changed and inspired many young lives, not least here in Northern Ireland. Again, the words of Her Majesty the Queen sum it up, saying of his lifetime of service that we

“owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

Throughout his life, Prince Philip exemplified the qualities of duty, sacrifice and service to a country and to a Commonwealth, all carried with great humanity and great humour. We here in Northern Ireland take great pride, too, in the fact that Northern Ireland can boast the highest participation levels in his other crowning achievement, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. It is significant that he attended every gold presentation in Northern Ireland and presented those awards to young people, according to what the director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has said. In fact, he visited Northern Ireland on 56 occasions.

Prince Philip served our nation first in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and then throughout a lifetime of public service within the Royal Family. Kneeling before the Queen at her Coronation service, he promised to be her liege man of life and limb. There can be no doubt that he fulfilled that role, but also accomplished so much more in his own right. Our thoughts and prayers, along with those from across the country and around the world, are with Her Majesty the Queen and the entire Royal Family at this time. Our nation has lost a great servant—a remarkable and extraordinary man—but his legacy will live on. God bless the Royal Family.

Global Britain

Lord Morrow Excerpts

Monday 3rd February 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Morrow (DUP)]

Will the Minister clarify a matter which the noble Lord, Lord Newby, touched on? Does she take the position of the Prime Minister when he says that there will be no border down the Irish Sea, or that of Mr Barnier, who says that there will be?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I take the position of the Prime Minister.

Brexit: Negotiations

Lord Morrow Excerpts

Thursday 15th November 2018 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

Yes, I do believe it is credible and achievable. It is something the Prime Minister has been focused on. She is delivering Brexit. We have a deal. We will bring that deal to Parliament. We hope Parliament will support it, and we will bring the country back together in a strong relationship with the EU going forward.

[Lord Morrow (DUP)]

My Lords, during the debate, much was said about our precious union. Does the Minister agree that, in fact, the precious union will be destroyed by this deal if it goes through—although that seems unlikely. Surely Northern Ireland has now been pushed on to a ledge and into no man’s land. This is not an acceptable way to protect the precious union.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

With the greatest respect, I am afraid I disagree with the noble Lord. Protecting the union and ensuring that we uphold the Good Friday agreement has been central to much of the negotiations, and the Prime Minister has been absolutely clear about that. That is delivered by the fact that we have got rid of the Northern Ireland backstop, and we have a new, UK-wide temporary customs arrangement which does protect the integrity of our union.

Saville Inquiry

Lord Morrow Excerpts

Tuesday 15th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Winston]

My Lords—

[Lord Morrow]

My Lords, the Saville inquiry, which has been published today, looked into 13 deaths—there were actually 14, because one died later. However, this House should take note that we are perhaps setting a hierarchy of victims here and be aware that in south Armagh, for instance, over 300 murders remain unsolved today. Should this House not be aware that the Saville report has the potential to set Northern Ireland back 30 years rather than take it forward? Is every death in Northern Ireland not important to this House? Why should there be a particular inquiry into 13 plus one deaths—that is, 14—when countless hundreds of deaths have not been resolved? There are many issues relating to that. The noble and learned Lord, Lord Saville, had at his disposal some £200 million to bring about this report, yet the historical inquiry team, which looks at all the issues in Northern Ireland over the past 35 years, has at its disposal some £30 million. Is there not an inequality here?

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, there is no hierarchy of victims and no inequality whatever here. What happened was an extremely rare case of soldiers who killed by opening fire on a march when they had no belief that they were under threat. That is what sets it apart from everything else. It is why Bloody Sunday has cast such a long shadow down the ages. Every death is to be deeply regretted, wherever it occurred, but today we are dealing with the results of the Bloody Sunday inquiry.