05.12.1996

Hume’s myopia

Statement from Irish Republican Socialist Party spokesperson, Willie Gallagher

The short term future for nationalists and northern republicans does not look good:

• The British government feel they have the measure of Irish republicans
• David Trimble all but wrote the terms for Sinn Fein’s entry into ‘some-party’ talks
• The Irish government has proved to be inept and totally ineffective
• John Hume’s aim is peace at any price
• Sinn Fein, under the leadership of Gerry Adams, must follow through with their commitment to the ‘pacification’ process. Devoid of an alternative strategy, they despairingly look around for a political lifeline, and see this in the form of an electoral pact with the SDLP

Meanwhile, three-way word games between Gerry Adams. John Hume and John Major are being played out against a backdrop of unprecedented repression of working class nationalists.

John Hume is eager to create a middle class catholic consensus and reach agreement with his constitutional colleagues in the Ulster Unionist Party. He sees the neutering of the republican movement as central to this plan.

What Mr Hume has failed to analyse in his dealing exclusively win Gerry Adams is that Adams does not represent or speak for the totality of positions within militant republicanism

Hume’s myopic outlook is one of exclusivity. It is one that has been mimicked by the Irish government and will ensure that - no matter what Gerry Adams agrees - it is not binding on any group other than those around Provisional Sinn Fein.