Lord Hay: DUP peer to get British passport after battle

William Hay has been campaigning for 20 years to get a British passport

A DUP peer and former Stormont speaker is to get a British passport for the first time after a 20-year battle.

Lord Hay of Ballyore had previously been denied a passport because he was born in Donegal, although he lived in Northern Ireland for most of his life.

He was told that he would have to undergo a naturalisation process before being entitled to a British passport.

He currently holds an Irish passport but on Friday, ministers agreed to change the system.

'Right a wrong'

The government backed a private members' bill brought by DUP MP Gavin Robinson.

It would allow people born in the Republic of Ireland after 1948 who move to Northern Ireland legally and live there for more than five years to register as British citizens.

Welcoming the news, Lord Hay said it had been a long battle but at last the government had accepted the "flaws in the system".

"This was first raised in the House of Commons by my colleague Gregory Campbell but the Home Office refused to make any changes despite the clear injustice," he said.

"I am glad common sense has finally prevailed but it should not have taken this long."

After the Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth in 1949, people born in the Republic were no longer entitled to British citizenship or passport.

In putting forward his bill, Gavin Robinson told MPs he was seeking to right a wrong.

He said under the Belfast Agreement those born in Northern Ireland were entitled to hold an Irish passport but those born in the Republic and who consider themselves British were denied a UK passport.

He added that he has been seeking to introduce the bill for the past nine years but without success.

In response, Home Office Minister Tom Pursglove said the government would be supporting the bill subject to some small amendments which had already been agreed with the DUP MP.

He added it was right to "find a way to correct this issue in the system".

"It will make a credible difference to those Irish nationals who want to be British citizens," he said.

It is not clear when the bill will become law.