The Man Who Walked Away
This week I took a walk back down memory lane revisiting Castle Buildings, the non-descript office block on the Stormont estate which was the venue for so much drama in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement nearly ten years ago. Like the rest of the Belfast press corps I spent hour after hour in the car park outside waiting for any news of a breakthrough or a breakdown. Given that the DUP and UK Unionists had long since walked out of the talks, the politicians with the toughest choices facing them were the Ulster Unionists. Their press officer was David Kerr and, revisiting his old haunts with me this week, he summoned up the mood inside the talks room as the UUP faced its moment of decision a decade ago, with Ken Maginnis making an impassioned speech in favour of the deal, whilst Jeffrey Donaldson set out his concerns in relation to prisoner releases and decommissioning.
As we all know now, David Trimble did the deal, but Jeffrey Donaldson walked away. The Lagan Valley MP is my guest this weekend on Inside Politics, fielding questions about the events of 1998, if David Trimble deserves praise for his pioneering work then, Jonathan Powell's revelations about an alleged back channel between the DUP and Sinn Fein and Mary McAleese's comments linking a visit by the Queen to Dublin to the transfer of justice powers.
As usual, the programme goes on out on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Ulster at 12.45 on Saturday afternoon.
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I like the title of this thread. Very apt. Ran may be a better word though, conveys something more.
Since the Good Friday agreement Politics here has changed a lot. From big Ian outside shouting "Ulster is not for sale" he is now the First Minister. As for Jeffrey did no one ever tell him the best way to escape from a problem is to solve it not walk away. Politics here for years was local political parties not engaging with one another but now they beyond speaking terms. Ten years ago big Ian said no now he is laughing with someone who he vowed never to sit down in Government with. One thing that never changes is that politicians promise to build a bridge even where there is no river. For me politics is the conduct of public affairs for private advantage. Ian Paisley Junior showed that with all his private deals.
Looking back over the last ten years, I don't think that we have reaped the final whirlwind yet.
I look at Ian Paisley,(whose word cannot be relied on) Jeffrey Donaldson(the turncoat who(as you rightly put it "walked away") and who cannot get through an interview without mentioning the interviewers name every two words,the
shenanigans of Ian Paisley junior and the deceit of conservative MP Derek Conway, added to the underhand dealings of Peter Hain,Harriet Harman
and goodness knows who else,brings me to the conclusion that the UK is not in very safe hands.
If you have no princples,can take the sugar out of your adversaries cup and come back for the milk,then politics is the career for you.
As my old Dad used to say, "you can watch a thief, but you cannot see a liar".
Regards,
Thomas