2026 conference
In the opening remarks of the conference, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, Chair of the BIA, welcomed participants and reflected on a period of growing uncertainty across Western democracies. Britain and Ireland faced many of the same challenges, including questions around migration, trust in democratic institutions, and social cohesion. The conference offered an opportunity to consider those challenges collectively, and to approach them in a spirit of cooperation.
Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, and the Rt Hon Sir Chris Bryant MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, gave the opening speeches. Both emphasised the strength of contemporary British-Irish relations and the importance of maintaining close cooperation at a time of wider international instability.
Helen McEntee TD observed that rapid political, technological and geopolitical change made strong relationships with trusted partners increasingly important. Northern Ireland was not insulated from these pressures which present new risks to social cohesion. In response, she pointed to the renewed strength of British-Irish relations, recent North-South cooperation, and strengthening economic links across the islands as reasons for optimism. The Good Friday Agreement remained the foundation for cooperation, but peacebuilding and reconciliation will require our ongoing support and commitment.
(The full text of Minister McEntee’s address can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/speeches/minister-mcentees-speech-at-the-british-irish-association-conference-4-september-2026)
The Secretary of State likewise welcomed the increasingly close relationship between the two governments. Turning to Northern Ireland, he argued that political instability should not be allowed to become normalised. It is essential both to democratic confidence and to realising Northern Ireland’s economic potential that its institutions function effectively. He further emphasised the continuing responsibility of addressing the legacy of violence in Northern Ireland, whilst at the same time ensuring that an increasing share of political attention was given to Northern Ireland’s future.
(The full text of the Secretary of State’s address can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-secretary-of-states-speech-to-the-british-irish-association-conference)
The following morning began with discussion of national identity. Fergal Keane and Sunder Katwala discussed the increasingly layered, complex, nature of British, English, and Irish identities. Both stressed that national identities need not be exclusive, and that confidence in one’s own identity can be conducive to accepting the identities that others hold. Considering also the dangers created when identity is felt to be under threat, they further discussed the manner in which social media can rapidly magnify conflict and division.
A subsequent panel brought together perspectives from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Dafydd Trystan Davies MS, and Stephen Gethins MSP considered how different kinds of identities had evolved alongside constitutional debates about devolution. The recurring theme was the need for inclusive forms of national identity, shepherded by responsible political leadership alongside careful preparation for constitutional change.
Later that day, Professor Katy Hayward MRIA examined changing identity in Northern Ireland. She argued that the traditional picture of two clearly bounded communities no longer captures the complexity of contemporary society and the various identities constituted within it. The Good Friday Agreement’s binary understanding of identity in Northern Ireland no longer maps onto social reality so neatly. A panel of younger participants developed this theme, emphasising the importance of civic education and the need to ensure that newer ethnic and social identities were included as parts of peacebuilding and community processes.
The Sunday morning of the conference began with an ecumenical service of prayer led by the Most Reverend Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. Taking Matthew 18:15-20 as his text, the archbishop said that we need to keep exploring a new paradigm for mutual coexistence and social cohesion; to work energetically for values and for ethics in what can seem like a disintegrating world. A new contract of escalating external engagement that also respects the small scale might be help us to reach a place of civic generosity.
(The full text of the archbishop’s sermon is at https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2026/09/07/exploring-identity-and-otherness-in)
The morning sessions then turned to policing in Northern Ireland. Dr Jonny Byrne, Senior Lecturer at Ulster University, spoke about the reforms which followed the Patten Report and the creation of the PSNI. Dr Byrne pointed to public-order policing as one of the clearest successes of the reforms, building greater cohesion through engagement with communities rather than confrontation.
A panel then discussed how these changes had been experienced in different communities. Relations with the police had improved significantly in some nationalist areas, while there were still difficulties around confidence in policing and recruitment from some loyalist and working-class communities. The panel also discussed the importance of political and community leaders showing their support for the PSNI and encouraging people from across Northern Ireland to consider policing as a career.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher QPM spoke about the importance of public support for the PSNI. He returned to the Patten Report, which called on political, civic, religious and sporting leaders to support policing and encourage people from across the community to join the service. While there was considerable private support for the PSNI, he said that this was not always reflected publicly.
The Chief Constable also discussed the pressures facing the PSNI, including reduced police numbers, difficulties with funding and recruitment, the continuing terrorist threat and the demands created by legacy cases. Recruitment had now restarted and applications were encouraging. Rather than calling for a second Patten Report, he argued that greater attention should be given to implementing the recommendations and principles already in place, including the responsibility of political and community leaders to support policing.
A further panel brought together serving police officers and those involved in youth and community work. The discussion focused on relationships between young people and the police, and the importance of building trust before contact takes place in a moment of crisis. Speakers also discussed the continuing stigma attached to cooperation with the police in some communities, the pressures on officers caused by reduced numbers, and the role of youth work in giving young people support and opportunities outside paramilitary influence.
The final address was given by screenwriter Declan Lawn, who drew from his work on the programme Blue Lights. The programme has as a key theme the balance between idealism and pragmatism, which, Lawn argued, is a balance that had to be struck during the process of developing and implementing the Good Friday Agreement.
Declan Lawn also spoke about the different stories people in Northern Ireland tell about themselves, and about their communities. These stories do not always fit neatly together, but part of the progress made since the Troubles has been learning how to live with those differences and allowing different narratives to coexist. He closed by reflecting on the role that individual choices can play in bringing about wider change.
In closing the conference, Dominic Grieve thanked all those who had contributed to the weekend. He returned to the idea of the common good, which he said lay at the heart of the work of the British-Irish Association.