Northern Ireland: The Massachusetts Factor

“You do realise that by accepting this position that I am making myself a moving target?”


Edward Kennedy May 1980


Northern Ireland entered the 1980’s in a period of flux. The bloody chaos that had rocked the province since the 60’s had to some extent been reduced due to the efforts of both Conservative and Labour Governments. It is hard to imagine how the likes of Heath, Whitelaw, Callaghan, Rees and Mason could be mentioned in the same breath in any other political area. Yet in the context of Northern Ireland, “normal” politics simply didn’t exist, well not in the 70’s


To find out how the province got to this point we need to go back to 1972. Stormont had stood proud as the hub of Northern Irish politics for 50 years. Well proud as far as the Unionists were concerned. From the Nationalist point of view Stormont was the physical embodiment of their struggle for equality in a land that they did not recognise.


When in 1972 Direct Rule was imposed from Westminster it had a double meaning for Ted Heath. It meant that the “laissez-faire” attitude of the Westminster establishment had been exposed as weakness and also that this blood soaked, barbaric entity was a problem and that problem needed to be dealt with.


The old solutions wouldn’t work. They couldn’t work. The world now started to focus on this war torn statelet and how it has to be helped.


The talks between London, Dublin and Stormont led to the creation of a bi-partisan, multi party government and an assembly of both unionists and nationalists.


Plans were also drawn up for a council of Ireland whereby the Republic would discuss mutual matters with Stormont. However during the discussions the Northern Ireland secretary William Whitelaw received a visit from the two individuals who were going to be the new “leaders”of the province...


“I said to Whitelaw, ‘We must proceed carefully and at a snails pace. The people of the province will not take everything we are proposing in one go. We have to get them used to the idea of working with each other alone at first. The Council of Ireland will come but we have to let the dust settle”


Gerry Fitt Deputy First Ministers of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1974-1981
 
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