Hilary Benn, the state secretary for Northern Ireland, is expected to once again participate in the Twelfth of July parade as part of his efforts to forge relationships “with all communities”, reports RTE.
Last year’s parades saw Benn go to Co Fermanagh to observe one of the eighteen marches taking place in Northern Ireland the day after he met Tánaiste Micheal Martin in County Down. Thousands of Orange Order members lined the procession routes, and tens of thousands of them marched in the parades.
The purpose of the parades is to honour the Protestant King William of Orange’s victory over the Catholic King James in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
Prior to seeing the Irvinestown procession, Benn had stated his desire to operate as a trustworthy intermediary who is “a friend to all” but “beholden to none”, reports RTE.
After the procession, he was visiting his great-great grandfather’s tomb, which he characterised as part of a family pilgrimage.
One question posed to the Northern Secretary was if his presence was in line with the new British government’s declared objective of mending bridges between London and Dublin, as well as with political parties and all communities in Northern Ireland, reports RTE.
“I see my job as being a friend to all, beholden to none, but an honest broker in Northern Ireland. I want to engage with all communities, all traditions, because in the end we’ve got to work together to make Northern Ireland work,” he replied, reports RTE.
What will happen today, given the tensions of the bonfire with the tricolour and migrant boat, is anyone’s guess.
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