"
May she be worthy of the name."
- The National Motto of Rhodesia.
"
I don't give a damn for any man,
As all the world can see,
Time has come to make a stand
Well, to shine your light on me.
Come on people, let your life begin,
Come on now let the sun shine in,
Come on people let your life begin
Let it in, let it in.
Oh Oh Glorio,
Now I'm the Lords disciple
Oh Oh Glorio,
Now Hand me down my Bible."
- Luke Perry and the Dubliners, 'Hand Me Down My Bible'.
"
if and when the politicians fail us it may be our job to liquidate the enemy"
- William Craig.
"
Oh [...] bugger"
- Ian Paisley's last words, 10 February 1972.
"
The Reverend Ian Paisley was shot dead last night outside of his home in Belfast. The perpetrators are assumed to be members of the Irish Republican Army."
- Reginald Bosanquet, ITV News at Ten, 11 February 1972.
"
An utter tragedy that could have been easily avoided if our government chose not to coddle the radicals within the nationalist community."
- Bill Craig, leader of the Vanguard party, 11 February 1972.
"
Would it cost too much to fence off the whole bloody place?"
- Prime Minister Harold Wilson speaking candidly about Northern Ireland, 13 February 1972.
With Paisley's death, the Democratic Unionist Party fell into shambles. The unknown Charlie Poots took over the leadership, and failed to win a single seat in the ensuing Assembly election. Instead, William Craig and his Vanguard Party took advantage of the ruinous violence and rocketed up to 18 seats, jointly tied with Gerry Fitt's SDLP, while Brian Faulkner squeaked by on 29 seats. Faulkner attempted a coalition with the SDLP and Alliance parties, but this collapsed soon after it was announced due to a strike from the Ulster Workers Council.
In what is deemed his greatest mistake, Harold Wilson rejected calls to impose direct rule, being quoted as saying "
Northern Ireland can handle itself." Several UUP MLAs defected to Vanguard, and Craig was elected PM in the election that took place soon after. An attempt to reconstruct the UUP-SDLP-Alliance coalition failed, and Craig was able to impose draconian security measures. He was condemned by all three mainland party leaders (Wilson, Prior, Grimond), but he was praised by the Monday Club Faction of the Conservative Party, who accepted Craig as a patron numerous times.
Security measures were tightened further following the bombing of the Ormeau road on the 7th of April 1974, and the RUC was granted extended powers with regards to arrests and internment. Sinn Féin, the radical Irish Nationalist party, was outlawed. Roy Jenkins, who took over from a depressed Wilson, attempted to put a stop to the situation in Northern Ireland once and for all. Direct rule was on the table, and NI Secretary David Owen met with the Prime Minister to discuss the matter.
The date was the 12th of July 1974. The location was Lisburn. William Craig, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, announced its withdrawal from the United Kingdom via a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. "
Ulster Stands Alone" declared Craig, in an act similar to that of Ian Smith's many years before. Smith, in fact, telephoned Craig to wish him the best of luck.
Jenkins responded immediately, sending troops to the province. However, many defections to the Royal Ulster Constabulary and a street resistance squad led by Craig's cronies just barely kept out the SAS. The stress of the situation, combined with Argentina's seizure of the Falklands and the protracted response, wrecked Jenkins' health and put him in an unstable condition.
Craig continued a rollback of the previous reforms, restoring gerrymandered constituencies. The UUP disbanded, with many joining Vangaurd and many (such as O'Neill, Powell, Faulkner, and the Chichester-Clarks) heading to England. The rigged elections in 1977 produced a hefty Vanguard majority, with the SDLP (still under Fitt's regime) lingering in the single digits. A single Independent, Oliver Napier of the former Alliance party, sat on the sidelines. Harry West stood, but he came a few votes shy of being elected. They were seemingly powerless to stop Craig, who was always tightening his grip on power.
An attempt by Gerry Adams and Denis Donaldson to launch an insurrection from [London]Derry was squashed after a leading figure in the attempt, Francis Hughes, was arrested and several IRA members shot in a gunbattle with the UVF. The kidnapping of John Brooke did not weaken the government, even after he was killed. If anything, it emboldened Craig, who called for Adams' head.
The 1981 election produced virtually the same result, bar for a few gains at the Vanguard's expense. David Trimble, an MLA from the Bann, joined Napier as an Independent. Soon after this election, Defence Secretary Robert Bradford read out the reports that Irish troops had entered Fermanagh.
Apologies for stealing your idea
@Gonzo!
