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Northern Ireland’s Loyalists Lose Patience: Is the Peace Process Threatened?

Famously inattentive to detail, Boris Johnson will have known little about the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) before they wrote to him this week. The loyalist heartlands in working class districts of Belfast, Portadown and Londonderry are some distance from the north London streets where the Prime Minister is at home socially, culturally, and politically. Where the Conservatives have a concern about the union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it has been focused on addressing the problem of Scottish separatism. With Welsh nationalism primarily rooted in language over politics, the Prime Minister’s fractious Union Unit at No.10 was expected to spend its time opposing the Scottish National Party. This week however, Ulster has returned to the agenda.
The LCC brings together representatives of the former loyalist paramilitary groups who supported the peace process - the Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando. That peace process led to the eventual Good Friday Agreement between the British and Irish governments, endorsed by referendums on both sides of the Irish border. The agreement established an assembly at Stormont (which has worked only in fits and starts since) guaranteed the existing constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless changed by consent, and delivered the release of imprisoned loyalist and republican paramilitaries.
The years since have not necessarily been kind to those loyalists who put down the gun. Their political parties have never replicated the success of the IRA’s political wing, Sinn Fein. Many loyalist communities resemble those in ‘left behind’ towns on the mainland – there are significant problems with crime, drugs and family breakdown. In some areas these trends are getting worse – the loyalist town of Coleraine saw 14 gun attacks connected to drugs in 2020 – none in 2019. Despite a degree of economic progress, social divisions evident in the troubles continue. Over a decade ago, when I interviewed Professor Richard English, then at Queen’s University Belfast, he commented ‘the communities loyalist paramilitaries come from – they don’t send their children to Queen’s.’
If internally loyalism faces significant challenges, politically there is some evidence of a rallying cry on constitutional matters. Unionist voters were divided over Brexit, although it was supported by the largest political grouping, the Democratic Unionist Party. As in England, social class seems to have been a determinant feature – working class unionist voters tended to support leave, more middle-class unionist voters, to remain. What is bringing loyalists together now and forms the thrust of the LCC’s letter to the Prime Minister, is opposition to the Northern Ireland protocol, agreed by the United Kingdom and European Union (EU) in the Brexit negotiations.
The EU was not a signatory to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and played little or no part in the peace process. But as the new Ireland north and south experienced cross border initiatives and generous EU funding, republican attitudes towards Brussels began to shift. Sinn Fein in particular flipped their position in recent years from staunch opposition to the European project, to open support. The need to respect a key aspect of the 1998 agreement – the removal of military installations and border posts between the Republic and Northern Ireland – became a recurring theme in both Sinn Fein and the Irish government’s lobbying in the run up to Brexit. Yet how could the European Union maintain the purity of its single market without border checks, somewhere, between the Irish Republic and the UK?
As David Campbell of the LCC states ‘we entirely understand the strong representations from Irish nationalists that there should be no hard border on the island of Ireland.’ The Northern Ireland protocol ‘solves’ this question by instead placing a border in the Irish sea – between Britain and Northern Ireland. That is a deal breaker for loyalists, as it creates barriers for goods, services and people between Northern Ireland and the British mainland. Campbell insists the protocol ‘gives effect to the Irish nationalist position at the expense of the unionist position.’
It is the next section of the loyalist intervention which ought to cause concern across Britain and Ireland. The LCC declares that the Northern Ireland protocol undermines the 1994 loyalist ceasefire and their later support for the Belfast agreement. Campbell goes on to inform the Prime Minister ‘I have been instructed to advise you that the loyalist groupings are herewith withdrawing their support for the Belfast agreement and its institutions’.
There appears no threat or desire to return to the gun attacks and bombings that dominated the years 1969 – 1994. But Northern Ireland’s loyalists are once again uniting, against what they see as a threat to the union. And that is a problem for Boris Johnson.
Dr Paul Stott is a writer and commentator. He tweets @MrPaulStott
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
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.
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