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Gorrister - Prime Ministers of the Northern Irish State
Prime Ministers of the Northern Irish State
"if and when the politicians fail us it may be our job to liquidate the enemy"
- William Craig.
1974-1984: William Craig (Vanguard Progressive Unionist)
1974 (Majority) def. unopposed
1978 (Coalition with Free Ulster and New Front) def. Peter Robinson (Free Ulster), Gerry Fitt (Democratic and Labour), Ernest Baird and John Dunlop (New Front), Oliver Napier (Independent Unity)
1982 (Coalition with Free Ulster and New Front) def. Gerry Fitt (DLP), Tommy Herron (New Front), Peter Robinson (Free Ulster), Robert Bradford (National Front), David Trimble (Unity)
1984-1985: William Craig (Victory for Ulster majority)
1985-1988: Peter Robinson (Victory for Ulster)
1985 (Majority) def. Gerry Fitt (DLP), Robert Bradford (National Front), Roy Bradford (Unity)
1988-1989: Samuel Wilson (Victory for Ulster majority)
1989-1999: Nelson McCausland (Victory for Ulster)
1989 (Majority) def. Paddy Devlin (DLP), Eileen Paisley (Unity)
1992 (suspension of democratic elections)
Harold Wilson's handling of the 1974 Ulster UDI is considered one of his greatest mistakes. Craig's ascension should have been foretold, with Paisley's "wobble" in 1972 and subsequent assassination by a rogue loyalist paramilitary leading to a gap in unionism that Boal left to Vanguard. The DUP were left in the dust as the main opposition to Faulkner and the government became Craig, often compared to Hitler and his rallies to those at Nuremberg during the 1930's. Comparisons that were somewhat trumped up but perhaps warranted by those with a genuine fear of the man and what he stood for. The 1973 Assembly Elections were held with the tactit support of the UUP and other prospective Executive parties. Events, including the IRA assassination of John Taylor and an attempted party coup upon Faulkner, would make the case for Vanguard among the electorate. And so it was that Faulkner and pro-powersharing members were hopelessly outnumbered by the forces of Vanguard, anti-powersharing Ulster Unionists, and the vastly weakened DUP, who would fold in with time. Craig took power immediately in a coalition with other unionist splitters and rapidly rammed through legislation to tighten his grip. Yet, power to dissolve the assembly rested with Westminster. Craig acknowledged that his time would soon be up and conspired to set up an independent Northern Irish state after an assumed ouster. It was an idea that Wilson was also fond of, funnily enough, and with his government already dependant on the Liberals, he had even less time for Northern Ireland. So when Secretary Stanley Orme ordered the suspension of Stormont after the failure of Craig to meet a deadline for talks on reforms, the embattled first minister knew he had to act. With the little he had, he met with paramilitary forces to ensure their united support and ensured backing from figures within the RUC. And so when Orme went to declare the fall of Stormont (the second time), he was overshadowed by Craig's own announcement.
Craig was beset on all sides, and as soon as he uttered the famous words in Lisburn that Ulster Stood Alone, he knew he had little to look forward to in terms of forming a new state from scratch. Ramshackle elections were held with no opposition to the Vanguard regime. Jenkins took over from Wilson and sent SAS to Belfast, where a combination of RUC resistance and poor co-ordination doomed the operation. The Republic was another matter, but a deep split in Fianna Fáil meant a healthy majority for the National Coalition which wasn't quite so interested in involving itself. The new state quickly received support from the lovely regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa, while later President Reagan would keep a blind eye on the matter as he forced the British government to declare defeat in the Falklands war. At home, Craig sought to enforce the rule of law and did so with an iron grip. The 1978 elections saw Craig enter coalition with the 'controlled opposition' of unionist parties, with Gerry Fitt's DLP doing poorly in an intimidating atmosphere for nationalist voters. Britain, in a shambles following a brief Joseph premiership attempting hardline monetarism, could do little but watch on. The UN convened on the matter after a massacre in the Falls, but a veto from the US stopped outright intervention. The Soviets were funding counter-governmental activities in Ulster, providing a propaganda boon to Craig when the news was released. He won in 1982 along the backdrop of a worldwide depression. 1984 ended the joke of unionist opposition as Craig and Robinson initiated the merger of state-supporting forces into the Victory for Ulster party. Craig would die soon after its founding and was replaced by the hardline Robinson, who promised a doubled down focus on tackling terror and improving employment. New jobs in the shipbuilding sector were promised but didn't come and it was only on defence contracts with the Haig administration where economic growth was found. Scottish Independence in 1986 put the kibosh on any prospect of Britain restoring Ulster into the union. Robinson's harshening of internment camps, even going as far as to hire mercenaries to protect the facilities, would attract criticism and led to Eileen Paisley's entry into politics on behalf of the moderate Unity party. Robinson was eventually forced out of the leadership by a cabal of MPs, lead by the power hungry Nelson McCausland. McCausland imposed the untested Samuel Wilson into the position of PM. He would soon be undone and was found by the roadside in a state of intoxication - it is unknown where the alcohol came from and has been alleged to be planted by McCausland, who would take his place with an iron fist, turning Northern Ireland into a police state in his own image, with him serving as Big Brother.
"if and when the politicians fail us it may be our job to liquidate the enemy"
- William Craig.
1974-1984: William Craig (Vanguard Progressive Unionist)
1974 (Majority) def. unopposed
1978 (Coalition with Free Ulster and New Front) def. Peter Robinson (Free Ulster), Gerry Fitt (Democratic and Labour), Ernest Baird and John Dunlop (New Front), Oliver Napier (Independent Unity)
1982 (Coalition with Free Ulster and New Front) def. Gerry Fitt (DLP), Tommy Herron (New Front), Peter Robinson (Free Ulster), Robert Bradford (National Front), David Trimble (Unity)
1984-1985: William Craig (Victory for Ulster majority)
1985-1988: Peter Robinson (Victory for Ulster)
1985 (Majority) def. Gerry Fitt (DLP), Robert Bradford (National Front), Roy Bradford (Unity)
1988-1989: Samuel Wilson (Victory for Ulster majority)
1989-1999: Nelson McCausland (Victory for Ulster)
1989 (Majority) def. Paddy Devlin (DLP), Eileen Paisley (Unity)
1992 (suspension of democratic elections)
Harold Wilson's handling of the 1974 Ulster UDI is considered one of his greatest mistakes. Craig's ascension should have been foretold, with Paisley's "wobble" in 1972 and subsequent assassination by a rogue loyalist paramilitary leading to a gap in unionism that Boal left to Vanguard. The DUP were left in the dust as the main opposition to Faulkner and the government became Craig, often compared to Hitler and his rallies to those at Nuremberg during the 1930's. Comparisons that were somewhat trumped up but perhaps warranted by those with a genuine fear of the man and what he stood for. The 1973 Assembly Elections were held with the tactit support of the UUP and other prospective Executive parties. Events, including the IRA assassination of John Taylor and an attempted party coup upon Faulkner, would make the case for Vanguard among the electorate. And so it was that Faulkner and pro-powersharing members were hopelessly outnumbered by the forces of Vanguard, anti-powersharing Ulster Unionists, and the vastly weakened DUP, who would fold in with time. Craig took power immediately in a coalition with other unionist splitters and rapidly rammed through legislation to tighten his grip. Yet, power to dissolve the assembly rested with Westminster. Craig acknowledged that his time would soon be up and conspired to set up an independent Northern Irish state after an assumed ouster. It was an idea that Wilson was also fond of, funnily enough, and with his government already dependant on the Liberals, he had even less time for Northern Ireland. So when Secretary Stanley Orme ordered the suspension of Stormont after the failure of Craig to meet a deadline for talks on reforms, the embattled first minister knew he had to act. With the little he had, he met with paramilitary forces to ensure their united support and ensured backing from figures within the RUC. And so when Orme went to declare the fall of Stormont (the second time), he was overshadowed by Craig's own announcement.
Craig was beset on all sides, and as soon as he uttered the famous words in Lisburn that Ulster Stood Alone, he knew he had little to look forward to in terms of forming a new state from scratch. Ramshackle elections were held with no opposition to the Vanguard regime. Jenkins took over from Wilson and sent SAS to Belfast, where a combination of RUC resistance and poor co-ordination doomed the operation. The Republic was another matter, but a deep split in Fianna Fáil meant a healthy majority for the National Coalition which wasn't quite so interested in involving itself. The new state quickly received support from the lovely regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa, while later President Reagan would keep a blind eye on the matter as he forced the British government to declare defeat in the Falklands war. At home, Craig sought to enforce the rule of law and did so with an iron grip. The 1978 elections saw Craig enter coalition with the 'controlled opposition' of unionist parties, with Gerry Fitt's DLP doing poorly in an intimidating atmosphere for nationalist voters. Britain, in a shambles following a brief Joseph premiership attempting hardline monetarism, could do little but watch on. The UN convened on the matter after a massacre in the Falls, but a veto from the US stopped outright intervention. The Soviets were funding counter-governmental activities in Ulster, providing a propaganda boon to Craig when the news was released. He won in 1982 along the backdrop of a worldwide depression. 1984 ended the joke of unionist opposition as Craig and Robinson initiated the merger of state-supporting forces into the Victory for Ulster party. Craig would die soon after its founding and was replaced by the hardline Robinson, who promised a doubled down focus on tackling terror and improving employment. New jobs in the shipbuilding sector were promised but didn't come and it was only on defence contracts with the Haig administration where economic growth was found. Scottish Independence in 1986 put the kibosh on any prospect of Britain restoring Ulster into the union. Robinson's harshening of internment camps, even going as far as to hire mercenaries to protect the facilities, would attract criticism and led to Eileen Paisley's entry into politics on behalf of the moderate Unity party. Robinson was eventually forced out of the leadership by a cabal of MPs, lead by the power hungry Nelson McCausland. McCausland imposed the untested Samuel Wilson into the position of PM. He would soon be undone and was found by the roadside in a state of intoxication - it is unknown where the alcohol came from and has been alleged to be planted by McCausland, who would take his place with an iron fist, turning Northern Ireland into a police state in his own image, with him serving as Big Brother.
- Gorrister
- Word Count: 960