25.07.1996

Jump start for ‘peace’ process

With the Irish ‘peace’ process apparently stalled, John Major attempted to bring it back on course earlier this week through his Downing Street meeting with representatives of unionist groups associated with paramilitary organisations.

The four delegates included John White, who served a life sentence for murdering an SDLP senator in 1973, and Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine, who was jailed in 1975 for an explosives offence.

At first sight this seemed like a move designed to alienate Sinn Fein and republican opinion even further. In fact it was intended as a clear signal to Gerry Adams that he too could be drinking tea with the prime minister, if only the IRA would renew its ceasefire.

Michael Mates, the former Northern Ireland minister who has acted as the Tories’ messenger boy between the government and the IRA, said: “If former terrorists on both sides are going to be involved in a solution, some exceedingly nasty people on both sides are going to have to be spoken to.”

Although the meeting provoked hostile reaction from SDLP leaders, Sinn Fein itself clearly got the message, merely complaining of the government’s two-faced attitude in refusing to talk with its own representatives.

After the violence across the Six Counties of the last few weeks, the government is looking for an initiative to put the imperialist ‘peace’ process back on track. With the SDLP and even the Alliance Party threatening to boycott the toothless ‘Peace Forum’, elected earlier this year, John Major’s call for support for “the centre”, in opposition to the extremes, seemed futile.

But appearances can be deceptive. The forum was never intended as anything but a talking shop, set up to cater for unionist demands for elections: you have to be elected to something. Deals are being struck behind closed doors, and the main public negotiations are being conducted at the all-party talks, shortly to be suspended for the summer recess.

The government still expects to make some progress with Sinn Fein which would result in the IRA reinstating its ceasefire and allowing the all-party talks to resume in September with republican participation.

Jim Blackstock