It’s really fantastic to see you all here.
What a buzz. What an occasion it is to have you here in Downing Street where I work and where I live. So, I really hope you enjoy being here this evening for our very own St. Patrick’s Day event.
Now I didn’t realise this, but this is the first time we have had one of these celebrations in No10. I can hardly believe it.
Our manifesto says change on the front. There are many bits we are going to change but this is among them now.
You’ll have seen the Innova Irish dance company on your way in – weren’t they fantastic?
I was in a busy in a meeting downstairs when they were rehearsing up here earlier on, and we could hear the rhythms of what they were going to do, it was really fantastic.
And I think I can see some of them. They were absolutely brilliant.
And we’ve got Tara Viscardi on the harp, it’s very nice to see you.
We’ve got the Belfast Coffee Company, Burren Balsamics, and who would have thought, that tonight Downing Street is the best place in London to grab a pint of Guinness.
We have set up a Guinness bar in the back. I think there is probably a strong case for leaving it there till the next one of these events.
And if anyone wants to have a go at splitting the G, then please go ahead. So Sláinte everyone!
But of course, celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day is a chance to bring people together.
And it is really an honour to host you all here.
And as I think and hope you know, all of this matters deeply to me because I have personal connections to Northern Ireland.
It’s a place close to my heart.
I worked over there for five years, working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on some of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement changes.
And that, as I’ve said on many occasions, was really impactful and formative for me on my journey through life. I learnt so much about politics, about change, about working with communities.
The importance of hope, and there was a lot of hope in the change that was going on, and about the people of Northern Ireland who are absolutely fantastic.
So I remember stepping off the plane for the first time. It’s London to Belfast, it’s only about 55 minutes.
But it was a big step, and it was really incredible to do that work and to feel the personal responsibility of upholding the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
Because I love Northern Ireland so much, soon after my wife Vic and I got married we flew over to Belfast, hired a car and drove around the entire island of Ireland.
From Belfast, all the way around and then back out of Dublin for about three weeks. But we saw everything, but it was really, really fantastic to see, and a real big part of my life.
And for me the Belfast Good Friday Agreement is the greatest achievement of the Labour Party in my lifetime.
And I’m delighted that we have got in the room tonight, some of the people who were instrumental in bringing that around.
What an incredible piece of history. And I know that Hilary and Fleur who are here work closely with the Northern Ireland parties.
And it’s fantastic that we’ve got some of Mo Mowlam’s family here.
In 2023, I was very pleased to open the Mo Mowlam Studio for Cinematic Arts at Ulster University. And that’s a fantastic tribute to her legacy that will help provide new opportunities for young people.
And secondly, hosting these celebrations in No10 matters to me because it’s only two weeks ago that I was with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the inaugural UK-Ireland Summit in Liverpool. There we were joined by the Irish Ambassador to the UK Martin Fraser who is also here tonight.
But that Summit was a real opportunity to make good on the reset of relations between the UK and Ireland with a real determination to take them forward with massive ambition.
We had a really good two-day Summit where we got through everything we had on our agenda, and we added further things to the agenda that we could agree on.
And really, it felt that partnership, historically a strong and very important partnership is really entering a new and very positive chapter of our history.
And we will continue to build that friendship. Doing more than ever before in business, trade and security, we have discussed energy at great length and taking the relationship as the closest neighbours and friends – to that next level.
And finally, tonight matters. Because it’s a chance to celebrate the incredible ties that bind us all together. The connections between families and friends across our islands.
The late Queen Elizabeth II spoke about this. I’ve got what she said because when you pull it out it’s a really poignant reminder. > She said “the ordinary people who yearned for the peace and understanding we now have between our two nations and between the communities” within them, and she went on to say is a reminder of everything we still need to do to build a better future for all of us.
And I think it’s worth remembering those words and what an incredible piece of history that we have been living through. So tonight, let us raise a glass to St. Patrick. To celebrating everything Irish.
And on which I’ve seen actually Pat there. I play football regularly as you may know, and I wear a top. Now and again the photographers turn up.
Then there is this quiz which is what’s the top that he’s wearing. It’s my Donegal top that I picked up on my honeymoon.
And then the Taoiseach gave me an upgraded version of that top which is now used on the occasions where I am playing football.
So let’s celebrate everything Irish. All of the huge contribution to Britain over many generations.
From all those who settled in all sorts of places across the United Kingdom, including my own constituency of Camden.
But also of course in Coventry, in Birmingham and Liverpool and who applied their skills in construction, the NHS and workplaces and businesses across the country.
Or who created the music and art that has shaped us for decades.
And I know we’ve got some fantastic people here this evening.
Dermot O’Leary is here. Lisa McGee – the writer of the brilliant Derry Girls. Daniel Wiffen – Olympic Champion.
People from business, politics, the media and from across the country
Including from the London Irish Centre in my own constituency – Seamus MacCormaic, you are very welcome this evening.
You’ll all be familiar with the London Irish Centre. A fantastic centre in Camden. An incredible place.
I’ve been there many times. For meetings, for events, we have held advice surgeries there.
There was a lot of work done there during Covid where it was a place where people could come for a socially distanced cup of coffee.
And that was really important for communities that were lonely and out of touch and of course, they have hampers going out there every Christmas for people who need it in the community.
I even did Desert Island Pics there which was a variation of Desert Island Discs. I once got challenged in a pub in Camden by someone who didn’t like the Desert Island Discs I had chosen.
Only in Camden could you get challenged about that!
And of course we had our CLP Christmas Social this year so the Camden Irish Centre is a great, great place!
So this is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to everyone for what you are doing.
Let’s keep talking. Tell us how we can do better, how we can work with you.
This is the centre of the work I do. But I did say the day after the election when I was on the steps of Downing Street, that we would be a government of service.
And that means it’s great to have you in here so you can help our thinking and shape what we are doing as we go about that task.
So thank you for your contributions, thank you for being here.
I wish you all very Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And as I say, the Guinness bar is winking at us just over there so if you haven’t got a pint of Guinness, please do enjoy one.
I’m about to do just that.
