Labour to educate members on history of Good Friday agreement
January 14, 2021, 12:29 pm

Labour to educate members on history of Good Friday agreement

SDLP leader John Hume in 1997 with the secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, both key figures in guiding Northern Ireland to peace and reconciliation.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary wants to highlight party’s role in securing peace while in government

Labour is to launch a programme to educate its 500,000 members about the history of the Good Friday agreement and the party’s role in delivering peace to Northern Ireland while in government.

Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said that since taking on her position last year she had learned more about the aftermath of the decades-long conflict, which was brought to an end by the historic deal, ratified by referendums in Northern Ireland and the Republic, and signed in 1998.

“It’s not taught well enough in schools, given that it was within the UK, it was four decades of conflict brought to an end, and is a peace process that is held up around the world as a model,” she added.

The Agreement set the political framework for the power-sharing executive that governs Northern Ireland today, and tackled a string of other fraught political and social issues.

Louise Haigh took on the role of shadow Northern Ireland secretary last year. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA

“When the British government got in the helicopters and flew away from Stormont, that wasn’t that, it took nine more years to get the institutions back up and running,” Haigh said. “The peace process still continues, and there is still so much left to do to implement the Good Friday agreement. And that’s the biggest lesson that I’ve learned since taking on this role, about how much, 23 years on, is still left unfulfilled.”

Labour has produced educational material, including videos, for its members to highlight the history of the agreement, celebrating the role of the last Labour government and key figures such as the Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam.

“We want to highlight Labour’s special role in delivering that, and the unwavering commitment of Tony Blair to securing and protecting the peace through the entirety of the last Labour government,” Haigh said. “I think that’s an important story to tell.”

Under Sir Keir Starmer, Labour has been notably keener on hailing the achievements of the Blair government than during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership when Blair was mainly remembered as the instigator of the UK’s military involvement in Iraq.

Labour will hold four online seminars to teach members the history of the Good Friday agreement and its legacy. One of these will involve Avila Kilmurray and Monica McWilliams, members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, who were actively involved in the talks.

Haigh called the women’s involvement “part of the untold story of peace,” adding: “I think there’s a lot for us to learn here in our kind of fractured politics, about what can be achieved when we bring communities together and we recognise what we have in common.”

She accused the Tory government of neglecting Northern Ireland, citing as an example ministers’ threat to tear up the Northern Ireland protocol, the section of the Brexit agreement governing trade between Northern Ireland, the Republic and Great Britain.

Boris Johnson, the prime minister, insisted on Wednesday that trade had been running smoothly since the Brexit transition period ended at the end of December. But Haigh said the government was failing to acknowledge the scale of the problems facing some companies.

“A lot of the delay is completely avoidable and it was because of the government’s totally shambolic preparations and attitudes to the negotiations and to the protocol,” she said. “Some businesses, for example those delivering parcels between Britain and Northern Ireland, only received their guidance 12 hours before the transition period ended. And so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing these delays and disruption. And we need to see the government getting their heads out of the sand.”

source: Heather Stewart

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.