Brexit: Co-operation needed to ensure peace, says Adrian O'Neill

Adrian O'Neill says all politicians have a duty of care to ensure the Good Friday Agreement is upheld

British and Irish politicians must "be vigilant" and work together to ensure peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland is sustained, Ireland's ambassador to the UK has said.

Adrian O'Neill was speaking at an event held by Irish Friends of Labour at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.

It is the diplomat's final year in the role, which he took up in 2017.

He said he recognised that recent events had led to a "challenging phase" for Anglo-Irish relations.

But he said all politicians had a duty of care to ensure that all parts of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement were upheld.

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"The long-term job of reconciliation, which is going to take many more years, must be sustained," he added.

"We must stay the course and protect all its principles - not partial interpretations, but all."

The Labour conference is taking place all week in Brighton, with leader Sir Keir Starmer due to address members on Wednesday.

On Monday, the Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh told the conference Labour would always be an "honest broker" in Northern Ireland.

She described Prime Minister Boris Johnson's approach as "reckless and dangerous".