The Irish mess
Sir: There is good reason for the members of the suspended Stormont government and the people of Northern Ireland to regard the intentions of the Westminster government with suspicion and mistrust. The Conservative election manifesto (June, 1970) stated:
" We reaffirm that no change will be made in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland without the free consent of the Parliament of Northern Ireland." Yet the Conservative government prorogued the provincial government of Northern Ireland without the free consent of the members of that government.
It might be argued that this does not amount to a constitutional change. Even if one accepts this viewpoint — it is hard to do so —
how can any constitutional change, of whatever nature, be made in Ulster without breach of faith by the Conservative government if there is no Stormont government to give its consent to such a change? There are many members and supporters of the Conservative party (ref. Enoch Powell's speech: Saturday, April 8, 1972) who look upon the present leadership of the party and nation without great confidence. No freely elected government can expect loyalty from its own party members, let alone respect from the citizens of the country which it governs, unless it shows itself to be faithful to its election manifesto, in principle even if not in precise detail. Now that the Stormont government has been suspended in the interests of security, the appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must make some serious attempt to ensure that the law is enforced in Ulster. That cannot be done if he permits the existence of popularly termed "no go areas" in Belfast and Londonderry where the rule of the gun has replaced the rule of law. Difficult though it will be in practice, the upholders of the rule of law must bring the pernicious minority who seek to live by the gun, and the people over whom they have a large measure of control, within the law. E. H. Carwithen 45 Lynwood Avenue, Plympton, Plymouth Sir: Allow me to correct an amusing misprint in my letter on Northern Ireland (April 15). The Belfast teenagers in Manchester were far
from being "nihilist "! They came, in fact, under "Methodist" auspices. I put this detail in my description in order to indicate that the youngsters were not under any kind of Presbyterian, Orthodox or Paisleyite, auspices. This has a bearing on Protestant workingclass unity.
George A. Short 5 Scarsdale Road, Manchester.
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