Major and Northern Ireland Flashcards
what and when was the downing street declaration?
-1993
-downing street was committed to self-determination for northern ireland
-clear that a majority should decide whether northern ireland should be part of the UK or not, and the government would respect any outcome
-Dublin endorsed Major’s idea
-Major said that if the IRA stopped using violence it would be welcomed as a legitimate political party
-IRA still wanted a united ireland but were changing their tactics
how was the downing street declaration achieved?
-good working relationship between Major and Irish PM Reynolds - both in agreement of achieving peace through democracy
-support from Clinton who didn’t take sides enabled both sides to have an ally
-‘war weariness’ made the public in agreement that peace was necessary
why was this approach different to that of Thatcher?
-Major moved away from the idea that the UK should always include northern ireland
-he was willing to engage with the violent republican movement to achieve peace
-pragmatic rather than ideological
what was the impact of the downing street declaration?
-in august 1994 there was a ceasefire - the PIRA declared a ‘complete cessation of military operations’
-in october 1994 there was a loyalist ceasefire
-peace for the first time since the 1960s
-death toll fell from 84 in 1993 to 9 in 1995
BUT
-the ceasefire only lasted 17 months and there was violence 1996-98 e.g. 1986 bombing of canary wharf
what and when was the Mitchell report?
-1996
-it was a commission chaired by US senator Mitchell, which laid out a set of principles on which a permanent peace process might be developed centred on:
-handover of weapons alongside talks
-principles of non-violence which all parties would have to sign up to in order to demonstrate their commitment to peace
-this laid the groundworks for Blair’s Good Friday agreement
-Major described as using ‘quiet, accommodating diplomacy’
