The British-Irish Council’s biannual assembly, convened on the Isle of Man, is proceeding without several key figures, including Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, who is absent due to sickness.
Since the previous council’s session was held in Dublin, there have been significant changes, including the departure of Leo Varadkar as Tauiseach, Humza Yousaf stepping down as Scotland’s premier and Mark Drakeford resigning from his role as the Welsh First Minister.
The delegation from Stormont is being led by Emma Little-Pengelly, the Democratic Unionist Deputy First Minister, who is being joined by Stormont Sinn Féin Minister, Conor Murphy, and his assistant, Aisling Reilly.
The Welsh First Minister, Vaughan Gething, will also not be in attendance. He’s currently embroiled in a scandal after accepting £200,000 to support his campaign, despite undergoing a vote of no confidence in the Welsh senate but still retaining his office.
In expectation of a unified Ireland, Northern nationalists view Sinn Féin setback as a minor difficulty.
The previous council meeting in Dublin, which took place in November, was interrupted by riots on O’Connell Street. The uproar forced political figures to flee prematurely from a dinner and hastily exit Dublin Castle.
On Friday, Tauiseach Simon Harris is set to travel early to Douglas for the meeting, which yet again will occur without the participation of a British Prime Minister. Instead, leading the British delegation will be Chris Heaton-Harris, Northern Ireland Secretary of State.
The meeting, to be held at the Comis Hotel situated outside the island’s capital, will centre on the collaborative efforts of Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands on promoting renewable energy generation and use.
Founded in 1999 as part of the Good Friday Agreement, the Edinburgh-based British-Irish Council aims to strengthen relationships on the island and provide a platform for discourse.