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23 November 2009
On Saturday Peter Robinson publicly renewed his vows with Sinn Fein. Now wedded to government with IRA Leaders this is the man who once excoriated Trimble for having Sinn Fein in the Cabinet, never mind as Joint First Minister. Here are some extracts from Mr Robinson's 1998 DUP Conference speech (full version online here).
May we ever possess the courage and confidence to stay out of step when everyone else is marching to the wrong tune.
We are the custodians of traditional unionism. Others, who once walked that path with us, now worship a different God. They have gone, and it seems they are not coming back.
In this modern era they succeeded in forging chains that could fetter the mind. It was evidenced most clearly throughout this so-called "peace process". Even that name bears testimony to the effectiveness of the ploy. Our people were faced with a tidal wave of deception. It was not simply spin-doctoring but rather a vile concoction of brainwashing and professional mind manipulation. They sold that which was abject surrender as if it was the essence of democracy. Terrorists being placed in government was simply dismissed as "the price we have to pay". Emptying our jails of its murdering contents was justified as "necessary to make the deal work".
The saddest fact of all is that almost half of the unionist electorate filed into the polling booths telling themselves they were doing it for their children - what a legacy. Others participated in this orgy of delusion by kidding themselves they were voting for peace. As if peace could be purchased by a craven capitulation to the very people who have terrorised this community for decades.
A Government Commission has recently published a report stating that future referenda should be based on carefully controlled regulations to ensure that there is equal access to the media and to funding so that both cases may properly be put before the people. Yet when the referendum was held in Northern Ireland the full weight of every origin of Government, the complete orchestration of the press, the Government's toadies in the Church, the ever obedient grant-grabbers in business and the great unwashed of entertainment combined to ensure that nobody was allowed to hear the real issues.
Presidents and Prime Ministers, Party Leaders and Pop-stars were wheeled in to distract the voters and indoctrinate the more gullible. The press and media indulged in the lowest and most loathsome of censorship. BBC and UTV devoted over 80% of their coverage to the "Yes" campaign while the Newsletter and Belfast Telegraph acted as campaign managers. The great surprise of the referendum was not that 71% voted in favour of the all-Ireland deal but that 29% did not succumb to this blatant brainwashing.
To Ulster Unionist Assembly members, who are marking time until Mr Trimble makes his move, let me say this - "David Trimble gave life to an Agreement that has only one possible outcome - a United Ireland. That may seem to be a far distance even now, but while a flight of stairs may be too much to scale in one leap it offers little hardship when undertaken step by step." I say to Ulster Unionists, "better by far that you topple Trimble now rather than give him time to drag this Province step by step to Dublin. He has left the solid ground of unionism - don't wait for him - he's not coming back."
So what is the next stage? Just listen to this –
Case No.1
He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and bombing. While escaping from prison a prison officer is murdered.
Case No.2
He was convicted for terrorism and inciting others.
Case No.3
He was the mastermind behind the car-bombing campaign that killed hundreds of innocent people. He is regarded as the Godfather of the murder gangs.
Case No.4
He was imprisoned for possession of explosives with intent to endanger life.
Case No.5
He was commander of the death squads in the North West. Personally lured a man to his death - regarded as a murder mastermind.
Case No.6
He was responsible for the murder of two young policemen.
The catalogue I have outlined might sound like the rap-sheets of the inmates on death-row in one of America's worst penal institutions. Not so. These are the credentials of Sinn Fein's "front bench" Assembly team from which they will select Cabinet Ministers.
The DUP shall oppose Sinn Fein/IRA participation in the Assembly's Executive. When Trimble agrees to serve in cabinet with them, as he will, we shall maintain our manifesto commitment not to sit in an Executive Committee with the unrepentant mouthpieces of armed terror.
The people of Northern Ireland have voted two departments under the control of the DUP. That is the strength of the mandate we have been given. But our mandate is strictly subject to the condition I have restated and even if it was not there is not a DUP Assembly Member who would be prepared to partner Sinn Fein/IRA. The only cabinet the Provos should be in has brass handles on it.
If, however, other parties insist that the price of taking up Departmental responsibility is to sit in an Executive with Sinn Fein/IRA we shall refuse to oblige them. They can exclude us if they wish. I would rather languish on opposition benches with my conscience intact than be a First Minister without principles. But we will not make it easy for them. We shall face them with the chore of voting to cast us out of office while at the same time they embrace as partners their new-found Provo friends. Let them exclude us if they can. Let us see unionist hands going up to punish the DUP for refusing to sit down with the Provos - a principle they too, once shared. Mr Trimble, exclude us if you dare.
Last week David Trimble travelled to Wicklow to address the Irish Association. He told them that a new dispensation existed that the Cold War was over. David, you and your minions may enjoy a warm friendship with Dublin but we still regard Dublin as a low and detestable aggressor.
The only peace being offered is the peace of surrender. Therefore, unpalatable though it may be to the ears of many, Ulster's ordeal is not near its close.
They are asking you if you are ready to submit to a shady surrender and sue for an unprincipled peace. Some Unionists may have departed the battlefield but for Democratic Unionists there will be no retreat, no freewheeling and there will be no surrender!
