Debate on the Address

I identify myself and my colleagues on this Bench with the sympathy that has been expressed in relation to those who have died serving their Queen, their country and the people of our nation. That sympathy comes from all parts of the House. Northern Ireland is, of course, the smallest part of the United Kingdom, but the people have the same sympathy and they too have passed through their own trials and troubles. I have every sympathy with the families of former Members of the House who cannot be with us because they have been called into the great eternity that lies before us all. As a Christian minister, I know that, at certain times of the year—at times like these—it comes back forcibly just how touched by that they are. We all feel for them and our pious prayers are with them. I am going to speak for only a few minutes. I am sure that people will be glad of that. I could not let this occasion go by because very serious legislation will come before the House in a few days’ time. The restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland will be dealt with, including bringing forward legislation. I cannot prophesy—and I would not attempt to do so—what that legislation will be. Even if I did know something, I would not, as a Privy Councillor, be permitted to say anything about it. However, I have sat in the House for a long time. The House failed miserably to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland. I am not going to go into the background of that. It is a fact. I have in my study in the Stormont Parliament photographs of 301 gallant policemen who gave their lives in that struggle. If we put that into United Kingdom terms—by percentages—that would be something like 6,000 policemen. The figures stagger us. Of all the Members from Northern Ireland, I have been at more funerals than any other public representative. That is for the simple reason that I not only represent Northern Ireland from North Antrim, but, for 25 years, I was a Member of the European Parliament, representing all of Northern Ireland as one constituency. So, I know something of the deep sorrows. The legislation coming forth, however, must deal with the issue that no one can be in government in Northern Ireland, or any part of the United Kingdom, unless they uphold the police and the rule of law, and support and give help and assistance to the people who are the official agents of Government in dealing with crime and seeing that the law is faithfully carried out. This is a day of decision for Northern Ireland. If Northern Ireland is going to take another road to peace and prosperity, it must have the rock-solid foundation that anyone serving in government must be a loyal subject of the security forces, the forces of the Crown, the police and those who adjudicate justice in the court system. What alarms me is this. The joint leaders of Sinn Fein recently had meetings in the United States of America; they included Mr. Adams, who is the Member of Parliament for Belfast, West, although he does not attend. He had only been let back in to America after a long delay. At one of those meetings he said, ““Ian Paisley says that I am not for law and I am not for order. He is therefore demanding that we all must take a pledge to support the police and the adjudication of the courts of the land.”” He said, ““I want to make a statement here tonight.”” This was his statement. He said, ““I want to tell this audience and America that I am for law and I am for order, but I am opposed—totally—to the law of Britain and I am opposed totally to the Orange Order.”” Here is a man who tells us that he will support the police—although the pledge is yet to be seen and heard or subscribed to—but who then goes out of the country and says that he does not support British rule, British order or the British way of life. I and the majority of people, both nationalists and Protestants, look upon that as almost a redeclaration of war against us. I simply say this to the House: I trust that everyone here will be at the debates and that the House will say, on the first occasion that it has had such an opportunity, ““Right, if you obey the law, if you support the Crown forces, if you support the police, you can be in government—provided, of course, that you are voted into government.”” That should be the message from this House. If we do that, I believe that we will deliver ourselves from the darkness of the past and come to a light that will be a light indeed to the people and the children of Northern Ireland.