THE TORY government's constiterional conference on the Ineland finally got under wa! Monday. The only thing going for it is that no-one expects it to succeed.
Allending the conference are lan Paisley's Democratic Unionist Parts, the Social Democratic Party led by John Hume, Alliance. Parly, whose leader is Oliver Napier.
The only one of these guaranteed to dance to any tune North of Ireland Minister Humphrey 'Dumpiy" Arkins chooses to play is Alliance. The most mays does ith best to please. B. it always does its best to please. Alliance is a minimal force in Irish politics, having received just 6 per cent of the vote in last year's election for the EEC parliament.
Neither Hume nor Paisley can afford to be seen to take a conciliatory line. Hume only agreed to take part after securing a six-point agreement which widened the basis of Atkins' original proposals.
Carefully A British government declaration that it a Northern Irish indicated a wish for a change in their consțitutional status, then Malesty's Government stand in the way of such a change' enabled Hume 10 persuade the SDLP executive to changers mind and back the conference. But the party leader needs to tread very carefully in light of recent 'greenward' shifts in SDLP attitudes.
Paisley faces a different problem. He surprised many by backing the Fi dave a contac boycott attitude of Unionist Party. He now prove that his gamble worthwhile. Again this taking 'hard-line' attitude insisting upon unfettered Loyalist rule for the North.
The : Official Unionists have already called for as much in a policy slatement issued on the eve of the North James Craig.
and Labour Protestant Protesant State.
Overboard support. away and eventually all-Ireland republic'.
MP which make the compromise intriguing "majority This 'Her particularly would not Turies' North of Wilt as Alkins Pym and Lord Hailsham.
needs to was ninch will mean question.
knowing how Bellast this week.
UTTA DELTATE La linionis: minister in the 19304, whe said: I am an Orangeman first and a politician All I boast is that we are a The Official Unionists are reliving stch traditions in an attempt to win Paisley. Their Jeader, James Molyneaux, has gone overboard with allegations that the 'whole object' of the conference is 'to devise a mechanism to shift Northern Ireland just one step out of the UK turn it Into an Fellow party Enoch Powell has said that Atkins' 'eyes and affections' are 'on Dublin, on Brussels, on the Vatican'.
It is such publicly stated positions possibility settlement most unlikely. For many observers the most question IS will happen when the conference fails.
speculation has been fuelled by recent revelations about the make-up of the cabinet committee on the This group headed by Thatcher hersell, and as contains Lord Carrington, Willie Whitelaw, Francis Each ot these figures influential in the Tory establishinent, and lie suggestion is that Thatcher is more seriously than Callaghan a 'settlement' of the Irish But having the will to 'settle' and are different things. That is the first ihing Humphrey Atkins is likely to learn in ENOCH POWELL accuses Atkins of looking to the Vatican an antiunless the warning.
Like Bloody the British The [formerly subsequent Challenge court in April.
their archers i Dam s The British Aren that they were fired on farsi the troops would bener fire had giver But only несі paratroopers were killed 'acciden ally" by their own side in Arach Sunday this illustrated Army's real polic? of "shoot now, ask questions later.
Movement UTOM] are transport for the demonstration from a number of centres. Further detaits in issues of Socialist THE Irish feminists who have becom known as the 'Armagh Eleven' had their trial postponed again last week. The women are now due to appear in This will be over a year since the original incident when demonstrators were set upon by the police during au International Women's Day protest oufside Armagh jail while expressing • solidarity women political prisoners held inside.
The trial was adjourned last week because of the "sudden illness' of a presecution lawyer. The accused have now said they have no intention of returning to the court in April. Socialist Challenge' 10 January 1980 Pags 13
ON THE EVE of the Fifth World Congress Since Reunification of the Fourth International (Eleyenth World Congress), two groupings, the Haction Trotskyist Tendency', split from the Fourth Interational. The World Congress adopted & the impact
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Influential the Official
Women's trial adjourned again