The annual British-Irish Association bash alternates between Oxford and Cambridge. It’s been happening now for over 50 years.

During the Troubles it was derided as ‘Toffs against Terrorism’, but it was a safe place to bring together British and Irish government ministers and officials and political figures from the north. This year it took place last weekend at Pembroke College, Oxford.

Simon Harris, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the current British proconsul both made lengthy speeches, as is customary, but they got almost no coverage.

There was a degree of coordination, for both majored on legacy and the latest daft idea to appoint an Independent Expert (note the caps) to see if there’s any chance of mainly loyalist paramilitaries leaving the scene. (There isn’t.)

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Legacy first, which the two governments claim they are close to resolving.

Harris provided a detailed list of what the Irish government is looking for.

He said any agreed legacy framework must be based on the principles of the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.

Secondly, “any and all reformed legacy mechanisms must be compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.” He said the two governments are at one on this requirement.

Harris then catalogued what Dublin and victims........

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