UK government makes £3m pledge to mark Northern Ireland’s 100th birthday

Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State, will unveil details at a gathering set up by conservative think-tank Policy Exchange today.

The government had already pledged £1m in cash before today’s announcement, and set up a Centenary Forum to meet and plan activities.

The BBC has reported that Sinn Fein was among the groups asked to take part in the forum.

It quoted party chairman Declan Kearney MLA as saying he had “declined the invitation” because “there is nothing to celebrate about the lived experiences of republicans, nationalists and democrats in the northern state”.

NI Secretary Mr Lewis, who is essentially the UK government’s official spokesman in the Province, said in a statement: “2021 marks 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, which paved the way for the formation of the United Kingdom as we know it today.

“We will use this opportunity to hear untold stories, to promote Northern Ireland on the world stage and to celebrate its people, culture, traditions and enterprise; and its vital contribution to the United Kingdom.

“This past year has not been easy but I believe we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel...

“Next year is the time to shine a light on what makes Northern Ireland so special, and to look forward to a bright future.”

Last month the government said it would provide £1m “to support the engagement of a wide range of arts, heritage, voluntary, community and other non-profit organisations with the history of the centenary of Northern Ireland”.

In his address to Policy Exchange, it is expected Mr Lewis will pledge £3m more – although it is not immediately apparent what precisely the £3m will be used for.

Members of the Centenary Fourm are continuing to meet to “listen to diverse perspectives as we create a bold and ambitious centenary programme”, according to the Northern Ireland Office.

As well as prominent unionists like Mervyn Gibson, members of that forum include Alliance MP Stephen Farry, Eileen Chan-Hu (formerly of the NI21 political party), Ian Marshall (a UFU figure and former senator in Seanad Eireann), and Canon David Porter – the Archbishop of Canterbury’s chief of staff, who recently facilitated secret Troubles legacy talks at Lambeth Palace involving Sinn Fein.

In 2016, the DUP’s manifesto proposed that in 2021, each centenarian would be handed a gift of £1,000 and there would be a “personal oral history project to document their memories”.

It suggested every child born in 2021 would receive a ‘baby box’ – a Finnish idea where newborns get a box of essential items.

It also called for a public holiday on May 5, 2021, marking the day when NI officially became a legal entity.

In addition, a government webpage containing information on the centenary is due to go live today at 11am, at this address – www.ourstoryinthemaking.com