A letter from Lord Glentoran, Chief Whip of the Unionist
Party in Northern Ireland, in a Belfast newspaper a few days ago, suggests that the party truce in Northern Ireland has reached, or is nearing, its end. The thief indication of that is the result of the North Down by-election, the significance of which largely esoaped notice in this country in the preoccupa- tion caused by greater events. North Down is the constituency for which Lord Craigavon has sat since the formation of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in 1921, and it was the vacancy created by his death that was the cause of the by-election. It might have been, and indeed was, expected that the official Unionist candidate would be returned unopposed. Actually he Has not only opposed but beaten—by 6,268 votes to 5,137 —by an independent Unionist. No more should be read into this than the facts justify. The North Down by-election was not fought on fundamental differences of policy. But the strength of the patty machine in Northern Ireland under the Cran.:avon regime was immense, and this was an avowed revolt agarri,t it. Such a challenge to it in the late Prime Minister's own constituency suggests some lack of durability in the trad: on he created.
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