Time for Britain to make an historic choice
1998 has begun with a familiar scenario. Innocent
nationalists are killed by loyalist death squads while
unionist and loyalist political leaders cry foul about
`concessions' to nationalists.
It has been embarrassing to listen to the Loyalist
parties trying to justify their difficulties with the
peace process. They have cried about concessions to
republicans yet they have not specified what those are.
Nor, to the shame of broadcast journalists, have they
been asked what they are.
They have produced a myth of constant `concessions' to
republicans while the evidence shows that the surface
of the necessary changes has not even been scratched.
Issues of equality and demilitarisation have been
resolutely kept off the agenda by Unionists, with the
backing of the British government's securocrats. On the
ground military posts have been strenghtened and
nationalist concerns about the RUC have not even been
considered.
Equality in areas such as employment and culture is
nowhere near being tackled.
Cries of bias are unsustainable. The evidence is simply
not there.
d behind the pathetic nonsense of the unionist and
loyalist leaders, David Trimble and his party have seen
the chance to scupper the talks. The suspicion has to
be that the Unionist and Loyalist leadership recognise
that the peace process is coming to a head. They know
there must be fundamental change - and soon. There must
be a society based on justice and equality, something
they are finding impossible to deal with.
Trimble, by his refusal to engage with Sinn Féin has
always recognised that his job has been to hold back
the progress of history. It comes as no surprise that
the Unionists are being exposed as not-an-inch
reactionaries.
That leaves the ball firmly in the British court.
Mowlam and Blair have a choice. They can back unionist
and loyalist demands for no change - in other words,
follow the fine British tradition of playing the Orange
card.
Or they can push forward a process which will bring
real change.
They do not really have much of a choice. They can
repeat the mistakes of the past. Or they can help
produce a changed future.
Over to them.
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