Nationalist Catholic politician John Hume and I completed the Good Friday Agreement on Saturday 23 years ago. It is designed to end the 35 years of violence that have claimed thousands of lives in Northern Ireland and beyond, and to address the sectarian divisions that terrorism allows. Tensions are rising again today as the deal is in jeopardy due to a dispute over Brexit.
At the time, the Ulster Unionists, the party I led, had to swallow many distasteful compromises. Terrorists have been released from prison. Those who took part in terrorist activities were encouraged to take part in democracy; some leaders of terrorist groups became members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Fundamental changes were made to the police, who bore the brunt of the terror campaign.
Political structures have been put in place for co-operation between the North and the South – a development that many trade unionists view with suspicion and believe was the point of pulling Northern Ireland away from the United Kingdom. Similar structures led to the collapse of the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement between the British and Irish governments. But we managed to find a solution.
Despite these compromises, the majority of people in Northern Ireland endorse the Good Friday Agreement. They did so with the conviction that Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom could not be changed without their consent. At great political and personal expense, I secured the commitment of the governments of London and Dublin, Mr. Hume’s Social Democratic and Labor Party, and the leadership of Sinn Féin, an organization that at the time wanted to see Northern Ireland incorporated into the Republic of Ireland in the south. All parties agreed that any constitutional change to the province’s status would require the consent of the people of Northern Ireland in a referendum. This commitment is clearly stated in the first statement of the agreement.
Despite strong opposition from members of my own community, who resented the concessions to those involved in Republican violence, I campaigned for a “yes” vote in the Good Friday Agreement referendum, with the argument that it protects the union and the future of Northern Territories protects Ireland in the hands of its people. Voters trust my assurance and support the agreement.