ferences discussed the issue. SDP.
That makes it difficult to establish just what the SDP does nave about Ireland. But there are a number of clues. For example, who gave as a for joining the SDP: Labour has achieved nothing in Northern Ireland, they were no betMichael O Halloran, MP North Islington. His Irish radicaline will ome surprise of his former local party.
Quit Labour critics of O'Halloran in North Islthat he ington were angry had refused to vote against the TerAct (PTA), refused to advocate the local party's policy of 'troops out now.
But in a statement to the Trish Times O'Halloran now claims i was Labour/Tory bipartisanship which forced him to quit. Mind you, that's what he told an Irish newspaper. In a statement to the British press he gave as a reason tor ms defection, 'the new hard left Labour Party the party of Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone O'Halloran, Benn and Livingstone have been to the fore in speaking out on Ireland.
Statement from the Nacome the and Labour conhowever the think it Some might typical of the party. But the SDP's confusions, on Ireland as on so many other issues, does not end with O'Halloran.
The opinions of Shirley Williams are another ample. Williams has something of history in discussing She resented party conference NEG I debates on the subject in 1973 and 1974. On the latter occasion she promised that the Prevention of Terrorism Act, introduced by another SDP convert Ro would be repeal ed after six months.
This lie hasn't stopped to publicise her le Inline she wrote an with the bold title Let us artic I Times shake off these policies of despair in Uister.
Troops The policies she was referring to were not as most people would assume, the existing ones, but rather an independent Ulster. repartition or the withdrawal of troops Instead, Williams sug gested, 'economic aid for the province through the EEC , and A renewed initiative toward powerThe EEC suggestion made because constituency Williams sees this institution as a cure-all for problems everywhere. But her advocacy of ower sharing was hardly breaking of new political ground promised by the SDP.
Rejected Indeed -DOWCH sharing' must be the most tramped-under-toot ground in the North of It has been proposed and rejected times as Shirley Williams has Deen SEvCH space in The Times.
If one member gang of four has little to offer David Owen?
In an interview on Irish radio on 1 October he called for a major political initiative Northern which would Michael O'Halloran of Fermanagh South Belfast. He went suggest that "Britain might ase economic leverage North of Irelan Loyalists to develop close:
This suggestion cconomic threats to bring about Irish unity may have come as a surprise to Shirley Williams. In an in terview in the Irish Times in February she maintained: "It is an illusion to sup pose that the Northern Ireland could be forced into unity with the Republic'. Vote contradictions leepen the further the per onal records of SDP con VETH are explored. There are em and Neville Sandel- the COT WOLE Labour rebels on Ireland. tunately, they rebelled in James Dunn election through uniting around an antiof Ireland different directions Sandelson was on of 43 Labour MPs who voted against the Labour government's deal with the Unionists in 1978 whereby the latter were promised more seats in parliament, in return for SUDDUELIE Roy Jenkins - as EEC president resisted discussion the Callaghan government. Sandelson's opposttion to this was one of the few principled decisions he ever made.
Dunn's rebellion was more recent. after Bobby /Sands election victory, the Tories proposed to change the rules more Irish prisoners would be allowed to stand fo this move. declared his support for Thatcher He said he would defv the Labour whip and vote with the Tories. So strongly did he protest that the shadow cabinet decided to allow MPs a free vote on the issue.
Win Judging other votes that SD MPs have taken part in on the Comfloor will be Dunn's right wing views rather than Sandelson's more progressive proach, which will win out.
In July, the SDP voted 1134 0101510210 111-3021138 from Labour to review the PTA. On the other hand Sandelson party's official spokesperson confusing, son it?
But perhaps Shirley Williams' dream or ind EEC coming to the aid of ine sor and bulan ove will be rcalised There is fust one drawoach to such a scenario. For the last four or five years the Irish government republican-minded Irish MPs in the Europcan Parliament have sought to raise the Irish issue inside the EEC These moves have been firmly resisted by the BEC 100 0 10 12105005 siderable establishment was an EEC president whose name was Roy Jenkins
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AT LONG last, discussion on Ireland at party political conferences has the recent Tory cold. Both
ter than the Tories?* The quotation is from
Michael 'Hallora