HANDS up all who know what a know? Well here's a clue, in May 1977 Mr John said:
the right gentleman... in paying tribute to the security forces in Northern Ireland. Their campaign against terrorism in the last year met with considerable success I believe it greatly undermined the organisations. would also tribute the contribution which the Defence Regiment played cruisited.
That's a fairly generous clue someone who backs the British Army, likes to say the IRA is about to be beaten, praises paramilitary band of Loyalist killers known as the Ulster Regiment.
Still not guessed who Mr John is? Here's a final clue. Last October he *Roy Mason did Northern Ireland'.
Solved the riddle now? right, Brynmor John is the Labour Party's official spokesperson on Northern Ireland. does? Don't too much doesn't think about. •So honourable granted cabinet status?
appointed such bipartisan terrorist ada a valuable Ulster be equally obscure.
Effort
almost Defence one on the issue of Ireland. well That's job military establishment.
Parlamentary DCLWCCI He's not actually in Labour's shadow cabinet, or anything like that; after an ine Labour rary docsit pay attention to Ireland and should talked agencies why should the party's spokesperson on this non-issue. be That also explains why Callaghan non-entity Brynmor John to the North of Ireland post. In fact it's a further example of services pursued by Westminster politicians.
Nobody had heard of Humphrey Atkins when Thatcher appointed him as her North of Ireland secretary of state, so the Labour 'shadow' had to John hasn't made much effort to his post ten months ago. Nevertheless it is at least of passing interest to record some details about the politics of the Labour Party's official number First, Brynmor John possesses the first important qualification for his — close links and support for the defence. 1974-6 he was undersecretary of state for Defence in the Wilson government. His chief task, not surprisingly considering what he does now, was Army recruitment.
In all, John used seven advertising to try and entice public school chappies to be officers and the unemployed to be squaddies. explained what he saw as his role in January 1975:
My object will be to ensure that the young man who is placing his future at the disposal of the armed will know what he is doing and will be appreciated and valued.
Career In the same speech John went on to say: There will be an extremely fine career for suitably qualified men and women in the forces', which the friends and relatives of the 300 plus British soldiers who have been killed in the North of Ireland might find some difficulty agreeing But John's enthusiasm for the British Army and the importance of 'defence' in general is not qualified by worries about dead soldiers; nor has he proved overly concerned about the vast Albums r molcy spent Said John in 1977: "Too little expenditure on defence is dangerous' women in British jails' and I believe undue weight on social programmes military considerations could disturb the overall balance of what we are trying to achieve' As far as the North of Ireland He goes, John has said little. But in an interview in the Irish Times at the end of last year he did offer a number of views which suggest he may even be to the right of Humphrey Atkins. Firm John criticised the Tory minister for not being firm enough with those American politicians who demanded that Britain do something about the North of Ireland. He added that the North of Ireland should 'always be regarded As to 'solutions, little. He did Times that the 'troops out campaign could cause violence in Britain and that the movement only aggravates the situation'.
The one positive suggestion he did make was that • the Special Branch strengthened' fairly represe alve Parliamentary Labour Party and its views on Ireland.
disregarding United Kingdom John has said suggest to the Irish Southern Irish "should All in all Brynmor John seems about Ireland.' THE mystery man