Sir Chris Bryant has vowed that Labour will “stand by” the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Good Friday Agreement, accusing Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch of having “clearly never read” the latter.
Speaking at Labour conference, the Northern Ireland secretary said: “Conference, I promise you this, we will not dump the European Convention on Human Rights, we will stand by it. And we won’t tear up the Good Friday Agreement. We’ll stand by that, too.”
Bryant said he has a warning for Farage and Badenoch. “They say they’ll bin the European Convention on Human Rights. They’ve clearly never read the Good Friday Agreement. Or maybe they don’t care about it”, he declared.
Bryant, who was appointed as Northern Ireland secretary in July 2026, also paid tribute to the “political titans” who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement.
He said the United Kingdom owed “an immense debt of gratitude to those who showed phenomenal courage across the political spectrum 28 years ago, arguing for peace when another round of violence beckoned.”
The cabinet minister added: “David Trimble, John Hume, Alf Dubs, Paul Murphy, Mo Mowlam, John Major, Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair. Thank you for your service.
“They delivered peace against the odds. They were political titans who had the courage to persuade their own people of difficult arguments for the greater good.
“Conference, that’s leadership. Real leadership. The kind of leadership we need in every generation.”
He said the current government would “always go the extra mile for peace”, adding: “Nobody, nobody, nobody wants Northern Ireland to return to the 1990s.”
However, Bryant said there was “unfinished business” from the Good Friday Agreement, and announced a “reformed Legacy Commission so families in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain can get the answers they have so long sought.”
Bryant said the government’s Troubles Bill would require “candour, honesty and openness”, insisting veterans should not be “constantly dragged through the courts unnecessarily”.
He said the legislation would ensure that there is “no equivalence between the lawful actions of our brave armed forces and the deliberate acts of terrorists”.
He added: “We will say that in black and white in the bill.”
Bryant paid tribute to Hilary Benn, his predecessor as Northern Ireland secretary.
He told Labour conference: “He started this process because he knew you cannot build a strong edifice on weak foundations. And you can’t shape our future without understanding our past.”
Bryant also said he wanted to take a leaf “out of Mo Mowlam’s book.” Mowlam served as Northern Ireland secretary from 1997 to 1999.
“Neil Kinnock once said of Mo, that if she had a fault, it was that sometimes she enters a room without opening the door first”, Bryant stated.
“Too right, Mo. We need a few more like you. ‘Can do’ people who are impatient enough to tear off their wig and challenge everyone else to double down on compromise.
“So look, I say to everyone in Northern Ireland politics, ‘come on folks, work with me.’
“Or even better, work with each other and with me. Let’s do something remarkable. Strike deals across the party divide. Rise to the challenge. Set aside private gripes for the common good because we can achieve far more by our common endeavour than we can by going alone.”
