Yesterday, East Midlands MEP Rupert Matthews attended a meeting organised by British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA).
BIPA was established in 1990, with the aim of promoting cooperation between political representatives in Britain and Ireland. Membership of the Assembly now extends to UK MPs and Peers, Irish TDs and Senators, and politicians from the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the High Court of Tynwald and the States of Guernsey and Jersey.
Committee B of BIPA (focussed on European Affairs) is conducting an inquiry into the impact of Brexit for the UK and Ireland, and will be in Brussels for a series of meetings on Monday 25 September and Tuesday 26 September.
Members from the Assembly attending are:
Rosindell MP (Chair) Conservative (ECR)
Steve Aiken MLA Ulster Unionst (ECR)
Senator Terry Leyden Fianna Fáil (ALDE)
Darren Millar AM Conservative (ECR)
O’Dowd TD Fine Gael (EPP)
Eamon Scanlon TD Fianna Fáil (ALDE)
John Scott MSP Conservative (ECR)
After the meeting, Rupert said "The work of the inquiry on the impact of Brexit for the UK and Ireland is extremely important. The islands off the northwest of Europe share many cultural traits as well as having economic interests in common. I look forwards to the report of the Committee into the impact of Brexit on the UK and Ireland. Nor should we forget our friends in the other independent parts of our islands – Man and the Channel Islands. All of us have a shared future as islands off the northwest coast of Europe. Our futures are bright so long as we work together to achieve friendship and trade."