Wolf of Badenoch
Donor
Conventional wisdom dictates that 'standard parliamentary layout' - eg he House of Commons is not the optimum to allow for the avoidance of conflict. Have a look at the Scottish Parliament.
If They Want It Then They Can Have It.
- Thread starter nezza
- Start date
Marr 2007
"The elections to the New Ulster Assembly took place on the same day at the referendum on our continued membership of the then EEC on the 5th of June 1975. Not only did the province vote yes to stay in the EU but also elected largely pro-statelet members. It was as if Ulster had been almost infected by a virus of peace and unity"
"The elections to the New Ulster Assembly took place on the same day at the referendum on our continued membership of the then EEC on the 5th of June 1975. Not only did the province vote yes to stay in the EU but also elected largely pro-statelet members. It was as if Ulster had been almost infected by a virus of peace and unity"
Benn 1st December 1975
"London is in lockdown. Today marked the opening session of the new Ulster Assembly. I was in the office preparing a speech for Bristol when Frances Morrell burst through the door and said that there had been a huge explosion in Regent Street. No sooner had she said that then two armed officers came in and told me to come with them. We walked down a corridor and into a safe room.
Several minutes passed and there was confusion and chaos all round. Then came a phonecall from Merlyn saying that bombs had gone off in Dublin and Belfast. I quickly realised that there had been a co-ordinated attack on the day that the assembly was opened.
I asked if I could have a radio. Someone brought one in and tuned it to Radio 4. Wilson was speaking. His voice sounded shaky and angry. He told the assembly that these attacks would not, could not and will not rob Northern Ireland of peace and exhorted all in the assembly to strive for harmony.
It is now 11.43 PM. The damage has been awful. At least 32 people are dead in London with another 50 or so in the North and South of Ireland. Wilson has called an emergency cabinet for tomorrow at 9 AM and he will address the Commons at 12. I feel heartsick."
"London is in lockdown. Today marked the opening session of the new Ulster Assembly. I was in the office preparing a speech for Bristol when Frances Morrell burst through the door and said that there had been a huge explosion in Regent Street. No sooner had she said that then two armed officers came in and told me to come with them. We walked down a corridor and into a safe room.
Several minutes passed and there was confusion and chaos all round. Then came a phonecall from Merlyn saying that bombs had gone off in Dublin and Belfast. I quickly realised that there had been a co-ordinated attack on the day that the assembly was opened.
I asked if I could have a radio. Someone brought one in and tuned it to Radio 4. Wilson was speaking. His voice sounded shaky and angry. He told the assembly that these attacks would not, could not and will not rob Northern Ireland of peace and exhorted all in the assembly to strive for harmony.
It is now 11.43 PM. The damage has been awful. At least 32 people are dead in London with another 50 or so in the North and South of Ireland. Wilson has called an emergency cabinet for tomorrow at 9 AM and he will address the Commons at 12. I feel heartsick."
Wolf of Badenoch
Donor
Simultaneous attacks are a good way of demonstrating strength, commitment and capabilities. Including Dublin makes it clear that all bets are off.
Marr 2007
The attacks were carried out by a group calling themselves the UIA (Ulster Independence Army). A group dedicated to (in their minds) recreating the neo-nazified Ulster of the brief "UU" days. Belfast was an obvious target. Dublin was attacked to "make it clear to the IRA and INLA that we can hurt you" whereas London was attacked for the reason (again in their minds) that London's withdrawal was in "need of punishment"
The UIA was a new and totally unprecedented threat. Here was a group that apparently decided that all were guilty of betrayal and threat and all must be punished."
The attacks were carried out by a group calling themselves the UIA (Ulster Independence Army). A group dedicated to (in their minds) recreating the neo-nazified Ulster of the brief "UU" days. Belfast was an obvious target. Dublin was attacked to "make it clear to the IRA and INLA that we can hurt you" whereas London was attacked for the reason (again in their minds) that London's withdrawal was in "need of punishment"
The UIA was a new and totally unprecedented threat. Here was a group that apparently decided that all were guilty of betrayal and threat and all must be punished."
As a Northern Ireland catholic who lived through the troubles I am loving this story and I hope it continues
Thank You.
Statement by the UIA 2nd December 1974
"Our actions were a justifiable response to the betrayal of the people of Ulster by the cowardly and deceitful abandonment of the British government. Let us make this clear we will act as we see fit to ensure that the people of Ulster who are loyal to the crown will control the destiny of Ulster and will exterminate all threats to our nation whether within or without
One people one future one Ulster"
Statement by the UIA 2nd December 1974
"Our actions were a justifiable response to the betrayal of the people of Ulster by the cowardly and deceitful abandonment of the British government. Let us make this clear we will act as we see fit to ensure that the people of Ulster who are loyal to the crown will control the destiny of Ulster and will exterminate all threats to our nation whether within or without
One people one future one Ulster"
If Wilson were spiteful, he could allow Irish police into NI, to help control matters alongside the British forces.
Marr 2007
"The emergence of the UIA changed everything. Up until that point the thinking behind the various groups was that some wanted a united Ireland where others wanted the North to remain within the union. Now there was a group that Ulster as totally independent (as they imagined it to be) and everyone was fair game. This needed the security services and political establishments of both nations to come up with something new"
"The emergence of the UIA changed everything. Up until that point the thinking behind the various groups was that some wanted a united Ireland where others wanted the North to remain within the union. Now there was a group that Ulster as totally independent (as they imagined it to be) and everyone was fair game. This needed the security services and political establishments of both nations to come up with something new"
In a way, Yes. Not in a holocaust way but more in a Lebensraum fashion whereas UU and their followers sought to have all the province for themselves and forcing nationalists to leave.
Roy Mason "Paying The Price" 1999
"The UIA's emergence in 1974 was by far the greatest internal threat to the mainland since the end of the war. The high level of co-ordination coupled with the devastatingly high power of the bombs used was an indication that there were those in the mainland who were prepared to conceal, create and cause havoc to maim and kill those who were against their fascist ideology.
I have to admit that when I became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland I was minded to scrap the assembly and pour police and soldiers back onto the streets"
"The UIA's emergence in 1974 was by far the greatest internal threat to the mainland since the end of the war. The high level of co-ordination coupled with the devastatingly high power of the bombs used was an indication that there were those in the mainland who were prepared to conceal, create and cause havoc to maim and kill those who were against their fascist ideology.
I have to admit that when I became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland I was minded to scrap the assembly and pour police and soldiers back onto the streets"
Marr 2007
"The mood of the new Assembly in its first few weeks was one of trepidation. It was as if a courting couple was trying to find out each other foibles. The violence that had led up to its beginning had in one of history's greatest ironies gave the first sessions a pacific tone"
"The mood of the new Assembly in its first few weeks was one of trepidation. It was as if a courting couple was trying to find out each other foibles. The violence that had led up to its beginning had in one of history's greatest ironies gave the first sessions a pacific tone"
That was an element of policy for the Spanish Second Republic, for broadly similar reasons.
Membership of the NI Cabinet
(Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Assembly_(1973) with "executive" change to "minister"
- Chief Minister: Brian Faulkner (UUP)
- Deputy Chief Minister: Gerry Fitt (SDLP)
- Minister of Finance: Herbert Kirk (UUP)
- Minister of Commerce: John Hume (SDLP)
- Minister of Environment: Roy Bradford (UUP)
- Minister of Health and Social Services: Paddy Devlin (SDLP)
- Minister for Education: Basil McIvor (UUP)
- Minister of Agriculture: Leslie Morrell (UUP)
- Minister of Housing, Local Government and Planning: Austin Currie (SDLP)
- Legal Minister and head of the Office of Law Reform: Oliver Napier (Alliance)
- Minister of Information: John L. Baxter (UUP)
(Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Assembly_(1973) with "executive" change to "minister"