IT IS IRONIC that the fate of yet another British government is hanging on the outcome of events in Ireland. In March 1979 the Labour Government under Jim Callaghan lost its last vote of confidence because of the abstention of Frank Maguire, Independent nationalist MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone (the seat later held by Bobby Sands).
Maguire could not bring himself to vote for a Government which exactly three years carlier had withdrawn political status from prisoners.
Labour's Northern Ireland Secretary during the time. Roy Mason, must be a serious contender for most hated Englander of all time- -in spite of the quality of the opposition.
The end of Special Category: Status led to the dirty protests and the Hunger Strikes. The deaths of the ten Hunger Strikers led in turn to an unsurge in support for the Republicans which shook the whole island.
The strongest card played since by Dublin and the Social Democratic and Textbook strike Geoff Smith Bolton NATHFE BC (personal capacity) THE LONGEST running strike in Further Education history has forced management to back down in their attempts to replace Bolton College lecturers with part time agency workers and lengthen their hours through imposing new contracts.
Instead of new staff working 950 hours (classroom contact) under Color 856 hours for others under a manage. ment offer, the action secured a deal where lecturers will work 810.
An overall pay increase of 9.5 per cent was also won. Even more could have been wrung out of the employers. but for the role of the NATHFE leadership who threatened to remove strike pay unless the Bolton branch accepted the deal. This treachery is typical of the fight against CEF contracts and cuts.
Grassroots members are organising to demand a more militant stance from the union. Ata Conference in Manchester on January 13,200 delegates from NATHFE branches condemned the leadership's role in the strike and called for greater accountability of officials. They also identified all out indefinite action as the best way forward for branches to pursue disputes with management.
This action has shown a way forward-expect a rash of FE strikes in the months ahead. Labour Party in the North has been the areument that no internal Six County soon will acep mustant kepuoncanism at bay. Dublin must thercrore have some role, however token, in guaranteeine the position of the Northern Nathe IRA.
The British demand that the IRA tion of all party talks is a watered down version of the Unionist demand for an Ulster Unionist Party David Trimble has a new angle.
If decommissioning is too big a barrier, there should be elections to a new Our new usu tion for Northern Irehave no alternative It is a clever ploy, designed to split the Dublin-SDLP-Sinn Fein alliance. It may yet succeed. All three are agreed that the main part of the new settlement will be a new six county state-reformed, but still very much in existence as it has been since 1921. Major and Mayhew parrot the Unionists position on disarmament and are loudly trailing the Assembly idea. Even if they didn't depend on their votes the their bottom line is that the Republicans into all party talks-in other words. acceps an internal settlement even before going into the negotiations! This is also the position of the Labour Party. It is clear the Tories will hang on as long as possible. This means keeping the Unionists onside. The Peace Process will grind even more slowly. The little Englander wing of the Tory Party could be more reliable defenders in opposition than the desperate leadership of a Tory Government on the edge of the abyss There will be tremendous efforts to break Dublin and the SDLP away from Sinn Fein and go for a settlement over their heads. For the Sinn Fein leadership. going David Trimble along with this plan might be more than poncally suicidal In time, the new arrangement will be sold as a step towards eventual irish unity: to openly go along with it now would make it appear as if the results of 25 years of armed struggle is no more than a vague promise that Dublin will have some say in now the Nationalists are treated in the new arrangement, in other words, that their fate will nanose those who left them to fend for themselves at the time of Partition.
Meanwhile the futile war against drugs will escalate as the armed strug. gle elements in the Republican Movement declare a proxy war against British intransigence, the Peace Process and, sooner or later, against the Adams leadership.
If Trimble was smarter he could cut a very favourable deal now and concode nothing except gestures to the nationalists.
If he lets the Tories fall he is not sure of Labour, but at the same time, the little Englander wing of the Tory Party and their trends in ine ruling class could be more reliable defenders in opposition than the desperate leadership of a Tory Government on the edge of the abyss.
Trine seems a one mo illustration of how closely linked is the fate of Ireland to the emerging crisis of the British State.