Peace In Northern Ireland

Things have been getting worse in Northern Ireland for some time now. I don't just mean the economy; that is getting better. It's the undercurrent of terrorism. We have had the usual summer disturbances associated with Apprentice Boys and Orange Order marches and so on and there have been a few car bombs. The Chief Minister, Peter Robinson, has been involved in legal wranglings involving money making and money laundering. But this is Northern Ireland. Today we have been told that there is a much increased risk of terrorist attacks by breakaway republican organisations on mainland Britain. Maybe it will happen and the shaky power sharing agreement in Belfast will collapse. If it does it will be the final blot on Tony Blair's record as Prime Minister. I can't blame Blair for the problems of Northern Ireland. These have been around for hundreds of years and have their origins in British oppression of the Irish but, in spite of all his failings, it did look as thought Blair had achieved something in Northern Ireland. He had stopped the killing - and that is an enormous achievement. But if they go back to violence again, Blair will have his record finally wrecked. He will become one of many British Prime Ministers who did not solve the Irish Problem. And we can then add this to his record on Iraq, Afghanistan, Civil Liberties, ID cards, Financial Disaster, Government Debt, etc., etc.

But what do these Republicans want? What is it that they hope to achieve? Are we back to a United Ireland - something which the government of the Irish Republic does not want; they have enough problems of their own, at present. Or is it just that Republicanism is no more than a cover for criminality? But, if it is, what have the IRA and their off-shoots done with the money they have taken over the years through smuggling, money laundering, diesel oil fiddles, etc? I have never seen any Republican from Northern Ireland that has looked particularly prosperous.

I don't think the people of Northern Ireland want a return to violence but they make little progress in eliminating religious divisions. I suspect it is still the case that companies there either employ Catholics or Protestants but not both. And as long as that goes on Northern Ireland will never be at peace with itself.

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