national archives ireland - cain web service · tsch/3: central registry records department of the...

NATIONAL ARCHIVES

IRELAND

Reference Code: 2002/8/484

Title: Note by E Gallagher, Department of Foreign

Affairs, on the significance of the visit of Labour

Leader Harold Wilson to Ireland and the

formulation of a distinct British Labour Party

policy on Northern Ireland.

Creation Date(s): 16 November, 1971

Level of description: Item

Extent and medium: 4 pages

Creator(s): Department of the Taoiseach

Access Conditions: Open

Copyright: National Archives, Ireland. May only be

reproduced with the written permission of the

Director of the National Archives.

TSCH/3: Central registry records Department of the Taoiseach

© National Archives, Ireland



The v. t.lsQn Vlsit,. ovembe:r. 19,71 , r n , IE' - -'. "_I

A main potnt 1~ cOJ\n.,c·tlo;o ttfl this v1$1t, Is to try to dec'ld:e wnethG% Mit .• ' Wll,Qn t , p~oa. 1$ to C:feate I diet1nctlve ' rttlsb tah'Qu~ 'poller in l'egard to th. NO.JJ'·th . whl¢J:l C otl'scd tN$l y and del !bera,t e"f btrea'ks the bi -partisan

J."lt:l&h app:!oa'C'h. OJ: to ."Ie tv . sane, k . Ad ofcompt'Qml'tI f ,o~ which 1'1ti$h Labour \'1111 11 V$ the dvantagQ both ,of ga'i.nlng: ,ome c,urr:entcreditl1e at the sarne time .'Ioid1ng an acctls;)tionof lettlne down the Britt 'h Goveltnrnent in a dllfie It slt,uattoft. .

.A tet:Ol\t! p O!f..rlt to eCfls:1dQl' 10: \~ibtchon.o, these (:OI.J1' •• & wo~ld be 1'0 our best interest.

r~ald.ng the bl.pa:ttl~uul ,'*1>]1') oach ha.$. obv,tousatt.ractl<m$

I#t+<.-

fr~ OUI: point o! vl.w. l"rltU.l,1pal ly it . t0l.11dserve rlGtie.e ontlntontm th "t a new ordet' of thin" 'W11 bet enfoxoc.d Qt1 them $,OQnet: or later by .t, Sri tish Lab.ou. GOVernment. Sut.., whether it ·ould fOl'ee H'ea·th t $ ha'M to· e' m}e policy nO\.Y i. prOblematic. M1. l'tal'tltatton for' loath l1g any Y,'llson: p,ropoaals or .'glmmtek~y+ft. fO!'1n.ldabl:end he ml,ht :relct by !:nc"~sin'g mtl:lt&t'V 3/Q.d Qtbez Pfre$$,Ul'es oJ:t tb,e 'mblo:tlty and ,endl>l"$lng Faulkne~,tt . 'ideal .w s~t9'1'fle:!, all'~t'G~", rh~re l~~l$o the at9ument that, in th<$ face f)f foar of a :return t ,() p~_r of a ritl$h LabQul' Party with radle,al1y dl ,fe%'ent p,011eie$f.rOln the, on,g'$ new P'4u!:'. ,ued by ~ 1". e8th. ttl. Unionists: might. th~ow eautton to the 'rlnds and .,t'~ ...• ttl. long awaited hackl-.sh.

Ib this 't angle of pO$$lbl1tt l ,e$ there CQvl b'e s.a\'l1r}thlng to bG'ss.'ld for takln~ a :¢o:ol look t \.v11son'., alternativ,e t . e,. creating " Wid. ~r optlqn$ in t~'ltu.~lo:n ut \v~thout going $,0 fn a$ to ox, a:k- 'Witli Heatb •. ' 'CM.$tdel'atton of thl _ irtvelve., eon$tderatlon of the: kind ot ~!,t)h', wa would wish to s.~ open,dup. ' ear-l.ng in mind that a basic p.t()bl~ in deal1:n9 lvlthion!lm l '$ th.lr eOf'lvictl on that it I. in thel1"' lnt&l'e"st to ~ema'!n ri ti.h. at all <!o,ta the Pl'<le& s of weak " nlngthi$ eonvie'tlon Is, the moat Impo~t At c ontttlbut! on, that '$ ~ould hop_ to 9 t from Mr,.,' ll$on. M QbVid)U. manrnt~ of t%'ylng to obt in it 1$ t 'o draw to his at tention th. Tao!seaeh".& tatem.nt in hi,. $~eeh ·of J 1y . 11th. 1971 which ask, Bi'!.tatn

to stat e hel' l.Rt.rest tnltlh unity., by a.9reement .~ as, a ~.$".etabl.nd p <IJli otleall y dt,!:t,lhl,. geal. Th:is, Irl$h 4.lnl.ty. 'Ofc 'QU~&e,f; w$uld be 1n lndepond.M$ and WOUld, 1nelQcte,., a$: 4 ma'tter of course" a 'spec"!.al but unlotrnal1.aGd relat,ionahlp' betwe~n ' rt t · 'tn 4nd lreI,net., Tb •• t ,tenpt to formal ite the M'91o--Ir1$l\ ~ela'tii)n'htp In tl1e pasi;·t a$ the Taotseach: has pt)tnted out . has ba0J!l the taus. of tnUO dl$tH's$; if W4I) now have' a c: , . on futur. In E l.l op. that by ·tself 1$ ' a sui lo.1~nt f~%malisat on f~t'h. f1.;ltUl'fl of Angl~lr18h rela,tion$ as Mell .

Unl onl'$m t alto bO'~d to , tber byt:he faet o£ its mon~olv of' 4uthortty 1n tl\e North. "rhis> i$ a , eeond thiA9 that needs to' be bt'clc.,n. .Jc·ltn fiftfte 1$ pal'tlcldlar1r ,clear en this 8uoject and th. SOLP are adamant about it. ' 111$on should, t.het.fo:te.. b. lnvl t.d to suppo1ltt1\e ld9a of bi-polar 9'C'V9rnmoJllt,. . It t. worth noting: thattb. rILP ' 2:' .in favour of what th,er ¢al~ CQmmunlty Governrnent and a f ~ '. ay. aQO • rian fla ke'l" of the , ew Ul$te~' ~ ' ovement Indlc~td hl$ support of the idea that people advoeating lrl$h unit , . to be ae t ved by ",aeeful means . a!'e entItled to take partin gov-ernment n the No.rth. support fo~ the :ld&a by the ~it1$h La ~ Party would make it inelu:etable QOnGI x-athell' than latertll



We have long held that It is net _ J).l')s$lble for el.ted 'r.,.r."entattves of the nan.W\',l()J\l.st c.~u.nl.ty t \o tat. pa1"tin 90vetflment lnthe l' o~th 1f theu¢cutE*tion' to,uld :$uec~ssf~ull'Y' b$ la1d a,ainst them t.hat. In d.ol:ng $o tn:ey II'" ass.1st:1ng in ,the' pefp0t.uatl 'on of part! tl¢n. A way' to $01ve this . pl'oJi,l·. WO\ild b~ to C·I'It,at& an all-Ireland . link" 11' ... ~111sC'A haa him'S If t.alkN bout a Council .1 l~eland. i a's . has MI' • .rame., Callaghan. -~e b :va con'sl.dered prlvatff ,y t tl, , l d,ea 'Olan inte-r-govt'!'1'\tttent '1 couneil f rather thana parliamentary one at this: 'stage., whIch would have l."·$'al ,alltho:rlty 1n' relat . .' to eccncan e. soclaland eui ti.ll'.al ha=oni$at~.on. Plrh.p~ the ;t~t a could b. ,41acu$$.,d with M~~ wl1$QR and hit ,t, 'trltEtre $ , in it Ob\a'ln.d.

MJ:'., W11s()J1 cOAI1dell'$tbe DownSng st;ree" D claratton to hav. b •• na major pe-rsQJ\al 'cMtr:tbutton. by him . tn the· c:lretJl:!lttahce. of tbat tIme. It ls n(WI ~r 'nerally :fe,arded by the. British L.bo~ P,dty al played out. The Decl,aratlon and tn. interview on ,lC given lmmedlat Iy aft.nval'ds by )I.r ,. Wilson laid tb& groundwork. h_evel"" f <'Jr the eBlinatlon of the f3l!o'1Jcpeci Is,.. I understand that 1~. ~ 11$01\ 1$, quite c 'QnSC10Uf of the fact that. taking away the private· axmy ();f the, unloni$,'t atate w11.1 b9 $~:an tna nt'torl~ eont:~t as th . beqi:l'm!ng of the ending ofa U'n.1~nl '$t HorttutlU\ l".laAd. n. 1$ 'beli ••• d to 'be aware that p:OS$f)i$st~not a private ~y bI.· .. Dodesia 1. what W,I$ck'ed. h1, 'Abccb.sian pol:1cy, . ~al!ln9 th .9: in mInd theraol$eachmlgbt wl,ah to 'mak.$!Jlte.bl. rema~k$ t. him. about What be aeeOl!lplllih«t in l'e>latl e;n to t"emovlng the BSpect als and on the. vital import nc. of .91n9 t o t t that they a~. not brougbt. baCk 'n any shape or f $$:hiQf'l ,e·.9. a !utu~e t:ranSiier 'of the ·tJOR tG torment cont'l"ctlor by the elabt1:at1on ofana~ed Rtr; R..f)$erve'lt

nil t\lOuld . enabltth. Taolseaeh to 9$ on to the g:t'Qund that .. "'tI)marutnt un-l,on!I" gmr.'nJl'Um:tlA th. N4Wth 1$ :now .eaningt.ss· asl.t ~aAnot a$s., Itt . alJth'Ol':ltr t~ou9h it, own mea'rt$., At pr&geftt. it is .ustatned .01. ', by the s.ltlsh krmy and the oth.XSUPIlH)~t$ given to it by the' British (Jovernm1!nt~ A, it WQuld ben incredible blunder. of enomoUf hlstor!.c P!!OpOl't!M$~ and would 9Ua1'"ante~ ~ wu -condition in Itt.land a()OJl\ ~ or 1 tel' to restOl"e thelt' plrtvate «U'tnyto tlBlonl_ • .B~ tain 1$ no\v ~.,u~%· ~ to maintain .. . ,single. minded ~nlonlst aov~nment via the B1'I ttsh ~'Y... ltd.$ 'ls ,oDv!Qu$ly an lneffectivep(l$l tl.on" a. G'J.X':t nt c Grnd.1tl ,t)Aa· 1n tlMtJcrth ~'h.$W" end ttHf~f) 1., ftO ,.RJP 1ft: pretending that, It Ican 9~ Gn f 't;rveJry 10.q 4'1/:&n I.E ~.w.l"e a mil! taX'Y' vio. tflJ~Y ov.~ th~ Provl .. teual t RA in th . near futur .. Sl%~abl. uea$: and sizeable po,ulatl,en$ ·of th" North "''' Catholic ghttt4arttS f bOrd$~ area , nd IQf\. tnt 1'101' towns 11ke, Coalisland .;0 ,arf! V 1 rttt all I, . nv1.$'!. t~ hr' . $ecurity for-eft$ ex:e-.pt in the cou:rse of m '11 t lfY .aetiv . t! $. That I '~t ,of $ltwationwill c'Gtlttnu. Ind.flnl,tely and c,annot be cO'J:recte<i by aJilaxtny. The ;r t of stormont cannot be nUtQ'et,o:eUA by the- A.tc,.N_~.n it be mad. to run bl' .. a. nv ct. h •.•• dnllnl$~1:4tlv. p~_.u, ,,~ lcQft9 .' . th. m~noJ" ' ty l',ef\l •• "ttudr consent to, be gov'Orlltfd bya solely unionist setup,. .

fhe 1.ogr1eal ,consequence • . " th1n:.f~." otr,r . ~tla.oR·' $ df'e,l.'l~ to ta'k. ,away ,tbenlontt prtv' te arm., is totak. away ,the tf.'lloni.$.t gO\lEtrnmen'b a'Wtlll. Th.l$ i.sue cannot be .blrk~d. _ cUl'$el Y'e$ d toet • number' of r_a$onswhy M. ·. Heatht'i gover_ant .l'i$I\;I$.I t ,Q face up to the l$$ue. Th. tnoet ob,,1,'oQ.$ one ts, the. al1.gect leal: of .. ' 'rote.taRt ba«kl •• h~ w. ct .• not knw whEtth.~ 'the backl.sh I, ,. _'/til 0.: •• ea,11ty,. We oW'$,.lv:el t ,end tQ: d,,l,ooant Ita .t~. because olanalYIe-, we' have mad. and in which we have . 'CIft.$ conlld nce. Btlt ~y.n if It 1" ,I : :$'9'1'lou. re'allty it fl •• had the' efteetof p«r.alyelft., Eri tl $}\ policy in relation



to lre'la,nd for i ,aX' too long alreadY. It, e.nnot b, allowed 1P goon doing $0. . I'f pol.t.C,y 1& r~l.t~d et all tLmes to tbe threat of a: bac1<lash no uaefuJ. PQliey Q,t all can ,evit:r eme::r9~·

Mothal'ra~$on f or- lack or poli t ical ,activity by Mr. Heath 's, Government 1'$ mQre likely to be fea!,Qf the Tory ' rlght""W1.ng wh1<;h it seems that Mr. Heathtattnot ,afford to antagon.i$e .,0. the North as it 1sa18,0 oppo 'ed to bh,." EC pollel~~h , Tht·s $:Gem$ to 'Us a more likely ~ea&OA thant!'te threat ,of the Protecst,a,n:t backla,sh for tbe' l ,QC'k of d~18 '1on, or directlQl\1.flc,ul!re,,,t Bri tis:h pOI,lcy tntbe No%'t ,h .. N."el'thel:.'S$:" w4t dt)ubt Vf;tt'!' muth that Mr. Heath ean oll~lnta!n a "do nathingft J,"ol¢. . ., v:ery JIluc:h longeJ: . He is . ·of eOur$e'" be:tn:g egged into al'o11e,y of massive mi11t(l31'Y ll'~pre$sionby $Qn4 elemo-nts, am.ong the Tary backbenehe~$as well as the Unionist~ and $~e ~lements in th~ British P .J;9SS. led by t h$ OaJly tel.ttgraph._ . He is, hardl y likely to be SO foollsh as to yield t ·Q this but dt)~s nots~em to ~~al1,.$. that he 1$ being 1ne'x(),rablydrlven into a situation W&:r~. by giviag 'Uf\rG,$~,l1V®:dsuppo~t" to ~. F'aulkne; he.o is . . m4relr' b~comln9 Ml: . :Faulkn$~1. toeil .. ,:"", this WGul,d I$$: a di$ma! '¢ont,r '··t,>lJt 'tQrt not. merely tOAn91o-t~r$h !eelations hut alao to Europ,ean irate'r .n,al relat ion, a,s thesam.11P!tohlems would eontl,nue to l'ee,ur probably at more {i'requent. 1nt,e"tvais and with 9reat-er intensity.

It 1$ .lso p'()sslbl., that H.ath. Mattdl1ng and Carrington think. Or tho\.1.ght., t 'hat they ¢ould takeout th. IRA and nil' •• '" the minortty ixta IRA 1nfluetlces,. E)Cperi~nce :' to d·at~ show$ that $l.Ieh tfllnld.ftg 1$ imheeil:!:c . Even if t -hey do I.,ueeee·o to taklng out .11:., IRA they will f tnde 40% minor'tty 01 tbe North$'l'n popul(/\tlort wh1eh wl11s.tl11 tefus£t to deal wIth a \,Jnloni$t g;over,iwifl:ent And they at., 11k.Iy al$o tQ £'in-da ma.h;:d.ty., or 'wtlI be' told that there 1. one. that r .ofu$e to make any 4onC.$$sions toa defeated minoritr" In the$~ elrctI1i,sta:ftCe-1 the, British Government will at 11 . have tocl<tc.tde' thG qU4H~!t1on t 'hey e ontlnu9 to Qvad~ .... will tb-er· .• nfore. th'ttl.!' aLith;)!"lty 'on. the majOl"ity Olf will they yle<f.11tagain.. the lat',.l' 1$ .b1ghly likely b GlJIeV.~ much ! t , mightb. d~f\!ed. C()I1S'EJ1ifu.ntly,. by no &. tr:et ... en .. 01 ,. ,lma9inati(;m e~,n .thel~ pre.$e~~ polIcy lead to th. 1m.plementation In ~ tne'a,nulql'ul way of "IHJ Powning, Stl'!'eet DeelaJ1ation. t~ whl¢h the r~'!&S a1:$ ft£W a11'0 committed" 9r to . t 'ne tmplJttmeotat!onof a~n aetlv •• :p&rmanent and guaranteed role for the' miAorlty in public affalJr'$ in NQrthern ueland .. the f, audl ing/Heath formula.

All these con$lderatioA.'S lead to' the &am. con'cluslonL s. thatstQl'mont mtlst b" ;.u,pencl~d. . A. $Qluti on will have' to b. arrived at. so tar' a$ the inte~n.l .1nlst~at,ion o,f ttl. North 1$ ¢ ()nc:.~n.d 1n iIl".- . interim t:JeJl'lod,. bythfJ mi,nori ty and .. t.·. he mejo,1ty talking to eaehothEi!". Th,eYVlll1 not . of COll:ltSe. xea·e,h a solution bllt at leas,·t tney,h.ould be able til id$n'tlfy wh.,at the ba$1c problems are. . A solution Qf 't.hese must t 'hlt!:n be' imposed. It Is ~l$a., that $0 long8s tb_e is a unionist gove'J"nment., Whieh 1$ enabled: to carI:Y ,out internment withQ\1·t, t~ialof thffll' opponents on ttl. other tide. brutalise the minorl:ty population generally andus* all the Instl'ument$ of government Clg<l,ins.t them. th&ll' r 'ol.wIll be to pJPcwent theacnievem&nt ofa situatton which <Umlnl$hesth8s. powelr1 . 1ft a ,slgnlflcant way. It '~8 a wa·et. of i 'lln.. th.$:.fQ~,tt. t ,o: .$'1( ttl. SllLP to enter into, dl$cC U5$lons 1n ttl • . PP'sent ·,t'\ua'tion. They would 1'0,. tbet~ a·uth~tty a:nd influence 1f 'they dtd SOl and th.,y know

I ..



ift thetr be arts thatth:$Y would gain. n;&th!ngelth.l'~ :Ch1y whe:n \tnl,onls,Jn i, rt?4ue·e;d ~~ b&b~, a:n GtlU&l p.$.rtn~l' \\I1tb th. mln(\l:''1ty tn d!$cust'~ Qn'$ will 1tecQ'n,t h ·allst e ,about. it. p().itio~.

!he question of I rtth unity cannot be iv <led either. ~ min,or! ty ttaVEP' 8: def'!nl t ·e a p 'ra,t on 1ft . hat 1:re.ctlon end nothIng h '$ radt'c.atM it at , any time in the- past 50 years. fh'$i:l" l i;),ad:~1"$hip must :tog, nd t o ht&'* T -e,1x- 1 eadet'& cannotel'lt&:t an . adIDlnl~tr. tle>rt des!.gfted to maintain tb. cHi.vitlon of Ireland in pe.p~tultI· . . Cotu.l.qvtently tn, a.,ttlt.,g· the 'teZ'mt Qf. futu~,. b-pol.at' admlni$.tratlop. of the Narth e' must a,l,o, op,n .the d~orto Il"l$'h ~rtt.ty. It $'~n.l'$on has himsalf refGl't fJd to th .• de$lrab.l1lty of or.attng a COWlctlof Ilreland. This d ' , as e ,ont.lned of cOUJ!:se 1'1\ th. Gove'rnment ofrelandet 1'920. If it 1$ to be ~evl v"$d l'\Q\.'" it· mu. t • dene 1n 13 4nnar agreed. ess.ntially bftt.ween the Dublin and 1.ondon ov~l'nment$ .' .It$ funetlon&lhould ba to haan' s:.,~onomle. social., cu.:l tur'al., and all <>ther matt :$ betw~H.lnor'th and S()llth t hat may ha,ve 9Jt'~ . apart &lncie 1921. 11\9$1) (llr'tl t,t, f'Unctions. It&objecttve. bQWev.~. - whether st;('rte'd .not ~, mU$t b$> , t ,o p~ep·a.re t, c~ tbe . transfe.of $ovel'etgnty ht the NQrth fr~ London to .nall-Ireland Parliament, in prf.)-gres. tve stf.lps .•

nu~r.e li , e many other thlags on 'whlch n onist$ will nave to b$$atllfled and we r.eogn1sQ" thi,_ \1 are quIte' p,re:par ed to dilleusst:nem and to eOine to agreem,tlt on thatn,. Ther. ar,_ ma,rty dl$parlt1es"ec,oncmlc ,~nd, ', 'Othe, )! ,. wh1eh $xl,s~ ,at, th," moment ,and which r.v,e a:r- _1'10: pJ'~pa~9d to discus·s "dtl\ Brltalft l~, .' It se:rla~a: and mean.:i.nc1,ful war-' , We, WQuldwlob to see hit . Wl. ~. $Qtl ~A.d~$n thi. kind of p o ley.

T~ 'tummar.l •• ttwould ... to me that tiM ,objeet.1vQ ,Gf dtt.c,uaslon with Ms:. li!i l&onwpuld be to persuade hlnl of $,*ething' 1 fk .• ttt. follow!n,gl

1) thfltto.rmont 8hould ,now be SU"penftch

2) that i,nt~ri1~nt vl1 tho'Cit tr:ial should end;

3) 'that a ne · fo:rm ,r4 inter-lEtt a. ,trd.$tr.tl'on be' cuated t or the North pl"iJne 1,611y by et!!Jtl ·dl$~ s$i on between un.io-n1st and non .. anlonl$t l~dqr$ bu.t . tb London an .. 0Ub11nbothnvelv'tdt

4 ) that a Council (II ,l:r~land be 'C.x·(fat d betw&en the- Irish GCN&rJ1Me'1'lt. and the new stormont admlni ttza,tion which h •• specifIc funet.1Dt\s · nda,n .r-$to~ 0 jeetlv.;

, ,' t 'bat the econQm,S¢ andstmtl al' dtlf;)ultle$ b .. ~no1"th aDd $w~b'b0':lld , be " n$totl.ted $:l$u:lt.n~,ou.lv with th. w'orking ()1Jt; ·of the< C'.uncil tlf Iwd.andf 3,M

6) tbat thQ!,. b. n~ot1atiop of utl10Rltt demancbJ 1n the eont.~t ()f an lnd.p.,nd$ni I l"l:$b st. ~ t . ..

national archives ireland - cain web service · tsch/3: central registry records department of the...

Documents