Nationalist Catholic politician John Hume and I completed what became known as the Good Friday Agreement on Saturday 23 years ago. It was intended to end the 35 years of violence that had claimed thousands of lives in Northern Ireland and beyond, and to address the sectarian divisions that had spread terrorism. Today tensions are returning as the deal is jeopardized by a dispute over Brexit.
At the time, the Ulster Unionists, the party I led, had to swallow many unsavory compromises. Terrorists were released from prison. Those who had participated in terrorist activities were encouraged to participate in democracy; some leaders of terrorist groups joined the Northern Ireland Assembly. Fundamental changes were made to the police force, which had been most affected by the terror campaign.
Political structures were set up for North-South cooperation – a development that many unionists viewed with suspicion, believing that the intention was to get Northern Ireland out of the UK. Similar structures had 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 have subscribed to the Good Friday Agreement. They did this with the belief that Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the UK could not be changed without their consent. At great political and personal expense, I received this commitment from the governments of London and Dublin, Mr Hume’s Social Democratic and Labor parties, and the leadership of Sinn Féin, an organization that, then and now, wanted to include Northern Ireland into the Republic. Ireland in the south. All parties agreed that any constitutional change to the status of the county requires 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 hated the concessions to those involved in Republican violence, I campaigned for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, arguing that it was the union protected and the future of Northern Ireland in the hands of its people. Voters put their trust in my insurance policies and supported the agreement.