Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Wednesday 25th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Paul Foster (South Ribble) (Lab)]

3. What steps he is taking to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

10. What steps he is taking to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.

[Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Clapham and Brixton Hill) (Lab)]

11. What steps he is taking to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.

--- Later in debate ---

[Hilary Benn]

I do agree with my hon. Friend, and I do not understand why some are advocating removing the ECHR from the Good Friday agreement. It would be highly irresponsible, and it shows a complete lack of understanding about what the agreement involved. You cannot just walk in and pull out one of its pillars for the sake of party ideology.

[Jessica Toale]

The Good Friday agreement was a landmark achievement of the last Labour Government, and it is a beacon of hope for conflict-affected states around the world. Before coming to this place, I had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing the leadership of Northern Ireland’s young people in this area as they shared their experiences and the lessons from the Good Friday agreement. With that in mind, what is the Secretary of State doing to share the UK’s expertise and ensure that others affected by conflict can benefit from it?

[Hilary Benn]

I agree with my hon. Friend. The biggest lesson of the Good Friday agreement is that it takes immense political courage to say yes, rather than to go on saying no. To pick up her point, at the end of last year the Foreign Secretary convened the western Balkans countries under the Berlin process at Hillsborough castle, where the First and Deputy First Ministers talked through how Northern Ireland has made this extraordinary progress. That is one example of how the lessons of that agreement are being heard around the world.