Even before David Cameron said that he was going to put numerous Northern Ireland residents out of work and deprive even more of them of their public services, why should Unionists have had any time whatever for the party that came within an inch of pulling out of Northern Ireland in the early Seventies, that signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, that renounced any “strategic or economic interest” in Northern Ireland, and that failed to oppose compulsory power-sharing with Sinn Féin?
That last marked out the Blair Government as New Labour rather than Old. The Parliamentary Labour Party voted against the partition of the United Kingdom, which was not least a partition of the Irish Catholic ethnic group throughout the United Kingdom, although that was not the only reason for Labour opposition to it. A Labour Government resisted an independent role for the Irish Free State at the League of Nations, and upheld the ban on the issuing of passports that did not include the words “British Subject”. The Attlee Government was the first ever to accept the principle of consent with regard to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland, with no significant parliamentary opposition except from entryist Soviet agents and sympathisers, nor any apparent negative reaction from the numerous Constituency Labour Parties and trade union branches that were full of Irish Catholics in those days.
The Wilson Government deployed British troops to protect Northern Ireland’s grateful Catholics precisely as British subjects. The Callaghan Government administered Northern Ireland exactly as if it were any other part of the United Kingdom. Two Ulster Unionist MPs voted to save the Callaghan Government when both Irish Nationalists abstained. The Welfare State, workers’ rights, full employment, a strong Parliament, trade unions, co-operatives, credit unions, mutual guarantee societies, mutual building societies, and nationalised industries (often with the word “British” in their names) were historically successful in creating communities of interest between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, thus safeguarding and strengthening the Union. The last integrationist MP to date elected specifically as such was the Labour-minded Robert McCartney.
And the British State is of continuing importance in protecting Northern Ireland’s Catholic interest against Protestant domination, whether under devolution pursuant to the Good Friday Agreement, or within such federal Irish structures as may ever be acceptable to a Dublin Establishment at once profoundly unconcerned about Northern Ireland’s Catholics and profoundly influenced by the theory of two nations with an equal right to self-determination.
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Is this the old Labour party that closed down its operations in Northern Ireland and had preference for reunification?
ReplyDeleteA party that has been historically linked to the NATIONALIST SDLP which in turn is offically allied to the Irish Labour Party.
The Irish Labour Party that contained such pro-union characters as Scouser Jim Larkin and Jock Jim Connolly?
The same Irish Labour Party that merged with the Democratic Left, the party which broke away from the Workers Party in the 1990's.
The Workers Party which was the political wing of the Official IRA. The Workers Party whose militant wing broke off to form the Irish Republican Socialist Party - the political wing of the INLA.
The Workers Party which was the left-wing of the formerly united Sinn Feinn left over from when Dev left with a minority of members to set up Fianna Fail.
The Irish Labour Party is ultimately descended through this from Arthur Griffith's original Sinn Feinn movement, later the political catalyst for Irish independence.
Know your Irish politics sir!!!
No, this is the Labour Party. Or it was. This side of electoral reform, the Labour Party no longer exists. So bring on electoral reform.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly isn't the Irish Labour Party (a creature of British intelligence, like the other two; but even so), never mind the Workers' Party (no longer even in a position to contest West Belfast). Wash your mouth out!
To hell with parties based in Northern Ireland. They are the problem. And the parties in the Republic are entirely beside the point. As they themselves would now be the first to tell you.
Who mentioned Irish politics? This is about British politics.
ReplyDeleteSo Jim Connolly and Jim Larkin were working for British Intelligence eh?
ReplyDeleteConsidering British Intelligence was penetrated by Michael Collins who had many of their agents killed, that is stretching credulity somewhat. And of course Sir Henry Wilson, killed on Collins' orders when he was Chairman of the Provisonal Government.
(From all accounts you are further to right than Wilson)
"You men have been sentenced to death and I am here to carry that sentence. May the Lord have mercy on your souls!"
The words used by one of Collins "12 Apostles" before exeuting two intelligence agents on the 21st of November 1920.
Well, yes, because they got caught. Don't do that.
ReplyDeleteThe Irish Labour Party in its present form, venerating the memory of James Connolly but sharing almost none of his objectives, is an obvious creature of British intelligence, heavily funded by unions that exist throughout these islands and are headquartered over here. And that's just official funding.
Fine Gael and, if anything even more so, Fianna Fáil are not even takeovers early on, as in the Labour case.
I think we can all see who was behind a merger in 1933 of the Blueshirts, Cumann na nGaedheal and the National Centre Party, complete with a commitment to Commonwealth membership, albeit for a United Ireland as the ultimate aim.
Never mind a 1926 secession from Sinn Féin itself, which went on to hang the IRA. You see, there is always a price.
After all, as with the SDLP, who else has ever really paid for them? They have been free to develop and pursue very different policies, although it must be said that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, at least, have shown extremely little inclination to do so. But "British governments by proxy", as Sinn Féin has always, not alleged, but stated as an observable fact? You don't say!
That was clearly what people wanted, and it clearly still is. Certainly, the "proxy" bit was and is as important as the "British" bit. But even so.
The cake has now been iced by the putting of Sinn Féin itself on the payroll. Despite not attending the House, its MPs have homes in London at British public expense, presumably for the cultural and recreational facilities. Who knows what other cash is sloshing about? Who are the proxies now?
And there is always a price...