House of Commons.
government has A flashback to the eve of the Rance of premier Harold Wilson on the 4 August edition of Weekend World.
There are rumours then that the Tory Party is negotiating with the Specifically, suggested that in return for Unionist backing the Tories would increase the number of presence seats for the North of Ireland at Westminster Wilson is asked to comment statement, by the television interviewer.
He says: 'If they are extremists (the Unionist MPs)
State this they would not have been seen most dead with when Mr Whitelaw nave evel was there ex-Ministers said this in the past 48 hours — it would be a grave dereliction of their duty to the country, to Northern Ireland and to the people of Northern 'It would be done to get a few doubtful votes for a future it cares." Conservative government."
but How strangely those words of Harold Wilson now seem. For today Wilson's fears of extremists' have proved only LOO LEUC But it was not the Tories who denvered up the Unionists demanded way back in August 1974. Rather, it was Wilson's heirs who in their last parliamentary session rushed done anything Unionists, but rather because the Unionists will have payment for continued support in ment. appearlisgustin! heeler-dealing Official Unionists.
has been MPs.
the most stonehe in ireland dealing Northern and one of their that demands community.' 5 April 1974: principled *To talk "dealing Many circumstances in seats the January 1976:
Labour to offend the were through the extra-seats Bill in Party the Unionists' ParliaThere is no disguising this Molyneaux, piece of political The arguments against what in effect July will be an increase in Loyalısı representation in Westminster have been stated many times before, on occasion by Labour For instance, there was Roy Mason on 2 December 1976:
'Northern Ireland is numerically under-represented in this House, but I firmly believe that effective way of democracy in The is for agreement to be reached on a form of developed government widespread acceptance in both parts of the Or there was Merlyn Rees, on parliamentary pressure is *Many people in Northern Ireland, whatever we may think with Labour. about it, look to the South and not this country. The problem that we all face is to bring these two communities together...
of increased representation in this House in that context is not facing up to the facts of life..I do not see which extra representation of Northern Ireland, with its history, would be a means of bringing reading of the peace that we all want."
Or Merlyn Rees again, on 12 *The government do not feel able to recommend re-examination of the question of the number of Northern Ireland constituencies returning Members to the United Kingdom Parliament in advance of an agreement on a system of government commanding the most widespread acceptance."
But since these sentiments expressca unc Labour has lost few by-elections and the pact with the Liberal Party has ended.
And so it was that Jim the Unionist MPs at Westminster, held a press conference on e which confirmed that the six or seven nionists under his command had agreed to a parliamentary pact with the government They would not vote to bring it down in return for an increase in the number of Northern Ireland seats at Westminster.
The main Unionist behind this deal was Enoch Powell problem for the Unionists was that Powell and Molyneaux faced opposition within the Loyalist camp from Ian Paisley and others of his ilk. Accordingly, now that the extra-seats Bill has passed all its stages, the Powell and Molyneaux to ditch the pact Having got the Bill passed, it is also a convenient time for the Official Unionists to return to their voters and boast of what they have achieved.
Even by their own standards of parliamentary opportunism, it is fair to ask what Labour has achieved by the pact.
The second and crucial the House of Commons Redistribution of Seats Bill, as the Unionists' pay-off was called, was held last November - just two months after Callaghan told his television audience that intended postponing the election.
Can anyone now suggest that Callaghan would not have been better advised to go to the country in October rather than clinging to power on coat-tails of HERe Unionist bigots?
The truth is that the Labour government has even been outmanoeuvred by the Loyalists in the Westminster game of power politics.
There have been few attempts by the Labour the Labour YOVCH ICHL Party to justify their pact with the Unionists. But last week Labour Weekly attempted such an explanation.
*The new breed of Ulster Unionists are not all Tories Some of them are working class and strongly interventionist -that was their reasoning.
fact there are more 'working class Lovalists Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party which has always refused any deal with Labour But leaving that point aside, just how low can the Labour Party get in giving such cover to Wilson called 'the extremists' of Ulster Loyalism?
Let a final comment go to the Young Conservatives, who recently returned fact-finding tour of the North of Ireland.
In the dog days of this Labour government it is fitting that such a body can be quoted against it The YCs commented: In talking Official Unionists...one gets the im UNCOSIOHE that suggested to them or whatever is offered they will push for something more.
needs grasping.
After 35 MPs showed their opposition to the Prevention of Terrorism Act last Wednesday (two acted as tellers, 33 voted against - including one Tory) SDLP member Gerry Fitt was *33 democrats."
The opposition against the PT A was, in terms of numbers, greater than ever before. Only 143 voted in favour of the PTA, so the majority of Labour MPs either voted against, abstained For simply stayed OI DUl DUSC.
Thus only a minority of the Parliamentary Labour Party voted in favour of the PTA.
In sense that encouraging. But Fitt's remark 33 democrats' reminder of how comparatively TeW Labour MPs prepared to make an issue of It also stresses the urgent need for socialists outside the cosy confines of Westminster to do what the Labour MPs are refusing to do: kick up hell about Labour's policy in the North of Ireland.
The nature of that policy is best illustrated by a quote from the Crossman Diaries 1968-70. Crossman recalls the decision by the Labour government in August 1969 to send in troops to the North of Ireland:
"Callaghan Was to work through the Protestant government. une rrotestants are tc majority and we can't afford to alienate them.?
At the time Callaghan was Home Secretary, and responsiole TOI Une government s policy in the North of Ireland. WHENEVER the election occurs, socialists will have a better opportunity to make Ireland an issue than at any other election since 1918. It is an opportunity that He was greeted in August 1969 by many Catholics something of a hero SaVIOu! TTOM the intolerance of Unionist rule.
That judgement is one that many would revise Indeed, so far as Callaghan being a defender of the rights of Catholics goes, it is judgement he has revised.
In a recent interview Observer, he remarked: "I think it would be fair to say that I overestimated the Civil Rights It seems that since then Callaghan and the rest of the Labour government have gone out their way to 'correct" that overestimate"
The introduction PTA, the abolition of political status, the official introduction of the SAS into the North of Ireland, the re-arming of the RUC, the increase in membership of the RUC, the growth of the UDR — all are results of the Labour government's last five years in office.
Accordingly, while it is true that some government's decisions Treland have been motivated by its desire to win Unionist MPs in Parliament, it is not true that this is what is at the root of its North of Ireland policy.
The introduction of the PTA, the decision to abolish political status, many tortures highlighted nesty International - all took place when Labour reasonably comfortable majority in Parliament.
And in denying the right of the Irish people themselves, the Labour governas - their bigoted today.
in the of the ment has ideology C01EIO1 North of Ireland At long SEST human costs are beginning to be seen by the Labour society who didn't want to, or on weren't allowed to, see before. Castlereagh is now headline the votes of news, a number of newspapers have called for the resignation Mason, American politicians (for their own opportunist reasons) have again called for the unification of Ireland and the withdrawal of Britain. by Am- What all this means is that nada to have shouted wilderness about no longer YCars alc wilderness. The potential for a rule growing movement for British withdrawal is now real and is always shared discernible the Unionists.
that policy's best opportunity many in British Ireland an issue.
SU Brendan standing against Roy Pat Arrowsmith against Callaghan. number of Their should this.
address any in the he should Ireland for hounded. Indeed, every in the ernment speaker sanctioned.
AFOR THE E LAST TINE - OCALLAGRAN *HEN THE GENERAL Whether the election is held in the next few weeks or in the to next few months, it offers the make There are many ways to do Gallagher horrors they Mason, sustain. is standing DICS election campaigns Provisionals be a focus for all activists on Ireland, but raising the issue need not be limited to In all If, for example, the Labour Party dares to have Roy Mason meeting, issues be heckled and govshould be reminded during the election period of the tortures they have them.
on the Similarly, the 'lefts' in the Labour Party who have refused minimal acts of criticism of the perform CYCH the most government's policy - such as voting against the PTA — neec to be reminded of the Irish have helped to Sections of the bourgeois have said that the will launch bombing campaign during the general election.
probability this is of "black propaganda' intended to direct autenuon away trom me real of Britain's policy in Certainly the chances are that in the coming bombs will not be necessary. Ireland will be an issue without an THE mass rally in Edinburgh March braved the weather to endorse a declaration calling for 'the executives of both our unions to escalate whatever stage is necessary to stop in its tracks this unprecedented attack on our right to freely withdraw our labour in particular we pledge to our colleagues in the Scottish courts all physical, financial and moral support necessary to Fully. maintain the efficacy •We assure our colleagues in Scottish Office that stand ready to take all action necessary force a LULE withdrawal of all suspensions.
East London CLIVE MARTIN, of Newham and Waltham Forest DHSS. told us:
*There are five offices in the branch, and each office has one or two people on the branch committee.
the campaign leadership, members reporting back to their offices and all minutes of meetings being circulated, and we have genera meetings to decide on what action to take.
omorrow, for example the SCPS is taking action, and two or three of our office will be out with them.
*The four London area co-ordinating committees are beginning to meet together to develop the action, and there is unofficial body called the
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home to roost THE LIFE of the Callaghan government now hangs by the Orange thread of Ulster Unionist MPs in the If that thread has been snapped by the time these words are read, it will not be because the
decided that they have sucked all the blood available from the rotting corpse of Labour's Irish policy.
On the picket ine Edinburgh